Gee, Thanks a Lot, Beaver
by Simply Lily
Summary: Starts in LITB, goes totally AU from there. I promise, at a pretty early point, this loses any resemblance to LITB because RT's version was awesome enough. LoVe. COMPLETE for real this time.
1. Chapter 1

_**REVAMPED! REVAMPED! REVAMPED!**_

**_Note: this chapter has been "fixed", or "revamped" or whatever you crazy kids are calling it these days. The reason for the chance is that I suddenly realized that it, you know, sucked. Sometimes it was too short and sometimes it was just plain stupid. Anywho, the plot isn't changed, just the way of telling it. If you don't have the energy to re-read it, that's totally understandable, but I wish you would because – God - it SUCKED!_**

Disclaimer: EVERYTHING that appears in this story belongs to Rob Thomas (you are the MAN!) and I guess to UPN or whoever. Anyway, I'm sure you have lives and obligations and stuff, so do us all a favor and don't sue.

A.N: Hey y'all, I'm Lily and this is the first story I've posted ever. I hope you enjoy it and all but most important - PLEASE REVIEW because I really need the feedback, not only to live, but also so that I could improve my grammer because I'm not from an English speaking country and I don't have anywhere to learn these things. Please correct me if you see anything wrong and I'll change it.

So, have I mentioned that you should enjoy? Oh, I have? Heh, never mind... Say, isn't this show _awesome?_

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Logan stared at the city in front of him. Shiny, shiny buildings and streetlights. He looked down and all he could see was the black Pacific Ocean, only tainted a little by stripes of white representing waves crashing with each other and the shore. It was all very poetic.

_She jumped into the ocean, get it?_

His phone rang, and sadly it was too far away for him to grab and throw down into the water. It would have been nice to see what and object falling God-knows-how-many feet down into icy water would look like. After all, his mother's video was so blurry and he was, obviously, not going to be able to see himself plunge down.

He took another swig from the flask in his right hand (or was it the left? Which was the hand with the watch again?) and laughed bitterly. Killing Lilly. How ridiculous. Might as well say Veronica fucking killed Lilly.

How could she? That bitch. Going to the police, framing him, lying to his face, smiling and telling him she'll take care of it. Let's see her smile when she sees that neat camera angle that would show his abandoned car in the news tomorrow morning. _Coronado Bridge Claims Second Echolls._ If he's lucky, they'll even find a body this time, if he's luckier, he'll be half eaten by sharks.

He ought to leave a note. Something simple, fitting. _You know you're the cause of this, don't you, Veronica?_ Or maybe something like - _What's so great about living, huh Ronnie?_ Oh, that's bound to make her cry. Salty, delicious tears. He imagined her having long, unbearable sessions with Miss James in which she'll gush for hours about how she should have trusted him, how she lost him. _Looks good on you, bitch._

His phone rang again, only this time he seriously contemplated smashing it with a rock. It was probably _her_ calling to apologize, or to accuse him of something else. One could never know when it came to Veronica Mars. One week kissing. One week rape. One week internal joke-y cute teddy bears. This week murder. Who knows what she would have come up with had he lived a little longer - child molestation? Insurance fraud? Hell, anything goes.

Deep down, he knew all these ridiculous accusations were the source of some insecurity issue Veronica had, but he just didn't give a damn. She has worked so hard to destroy anything that could have been between them, who was he to try and _oppose_ it?

And then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a thought crept into his mind - a memory: Veronica pressed against him, looking into his eyes questioningly. Oh, so cute.

Oh, so _gone_.

"_Do you think this thing…" she motioned at the two of them, "will ever get more normal?"_

_The concept amused him as much as he knew it amused her. They sat down, "what, like will we ever hang out at the mall and hold hands and buy each other teddy bears with hearts that say' I Wuv U Beary Much?"_

_She mock frowned, though he suspected she rather liked that idea. "Yes, exactly that, except I want my bear won through some sort of demonstration of ring tossing ability," she said, all serious-like._

_He looked into her eyes and finally understood what was on her mind. It's not the teddy bears she wanted; it was the normality, the security. She needed to trust someone. Basically she was asking: will this ever be safe?_

_Logan smiled softly, but knew he couldn't promise her all those things yet. So instead he settled into leaning closer to her and whispering: "well, secrets are kind of hot, too."_

_She seemed content enough with that response. He was so happy about managing to avoid a tiresome and clearly painful confrontation that he didn't even bother to lead her upstairs to her room and just devoured her right there on the couch._

Logan wiped his eyes (Tears? Hmm, where did they come from?) He shook his head frantically, trying to shove the memories away. However, the more he tried, the more they seemed to mock him by vividly assaulting his brain. Why did old Jack Daniels always insist on giving him flashbacks?

"_Dude, they're not gonna win. No way. Right Logan?" Luke asked him a few days after the Incident with Dad (aka star of The Breaking Point, and Beyond the Breaking Point)._

_Logan opened his locker distractedly, "dude, I so don't care," he muttered._

_Luke nodded stupidly, "oh right, you don't watch baseball, I forgot."_

_Logan chuckled and decided that one of Luke's lectures about whatever he was he liked to lecture about would be perfect. "Humor me, though," he said, "why won't they win?"_

_Luke started a baseball related explanation which seemed to amuse Logan but bore poor Dick to tears when Beaver suddenly pointed at something inside Logan's locker, "what's that?" he asked with disgust._

_Logan, Dick and Luke followed his gaze until they found themselves staring back at a cute, fluffy little white bear sporting a red shirt with a giant heart that said 'I WUV YOU BEARY MUCH!'_

_Logan chuckled softly despite himself and tried to not be too happy (at least on the outside) as Dick took it out and examined it. Judging from his expression, one might think he saw the movie _Toy Story _one too many times and developed an unhealthy fear of dolls._

"_Yo," he said with loathing, "what the freaking hell is this?"_

_Logan placed a hand on his heart, "why it's a puffy little bear. Just what I wanted for Christmas! Nice work, Santa!"_

"_Where'd it come from?" Beaver wondered actually looking up at the sky as if he was half expecting to see some flying Teddy Bear demons._

_Dick smirked, "is this like a secret admirer thing?" he asked as they walked into class – Biology. One of the classes he was good at for some reason but hated with all his guts. One of the 2 classes he was sharing with Veronica._

"_What, are we like in the 8th grade?" Shawn, appearing out of nowhere, asked with sincere disbelief._

"_Hey," Dick suddenly perked, "I bet it was Karen," he said dirtily and pointed at a girl sitting a few tables to his right, "she's totally into you."_

_Logan looked at her and felt slightly sick. She was beautiful, sure, as any cheerleader was, but the way she sat – stiff as a rock so that her skirt wouldn't wrinkle – and the way she spoke – as if her head was filled with little crickets - made him want to throw some acid on her carefully laid doe. This worried him. When did he stop liking the Caitlin Ford types? Why was he growing too attached to Veronica? This was _so _not gonna end well._

_It didn't help, of course, that_ she_ was fooling around with Mac at a table behind Karen, looking genuinely happy, which was a sight so rare with her that he couldn't get himself to tear his eyes away._

_She was adorable._

_Karen waved at him suggestively and he realized he had forgotten all about her. From the way she was looking at him, it actually seemed possible that she was the one who put the bear in his locker (if so, what a spaz). Not to mention, Veronica hasn't been making eye contact at all._

_Dick let out a laugh that had no good intentions in it, "look how she's waving at you, man. You so own it."_

Shawn groaned, "_who the hell would wanna go out with someone who brings you teddy bears? What'll be next? Little flowery notes that say Logan & Karen 4 evah?"_

_Beaver chuckled stupidly, probably to make up for the fact that he almost never said anything in these chats._

"_Dude, chicks like that are the easiest kind," Dick smugged back._

_Logan had to admit he had a point. Girls like Karen were _totally_ the easiest kind. A little 'I love you baby', some drinks, some gifts and there they were, naked and on top of you. He had to pick the most complicated one, of course. The one who was still not making eye contact, but was looking sweeter and sweeter by the minute, especially now that she and Mac were giggling at some private joke of theirs._

_The teacher, thankfully, entered the class and distracted him from Veronica and the pretty revolting argument Dick and Shawn were having about which girls were the easiest to get into bed – needy cheerleaders or anorexics\bulimics with a self image complex. _

_The teacher ordered them to take a microscope and start working on something totally boring, and totally easy. Karen was still smiling at him, by the way, what a loser. Surely his disinterested face conveyed how not interested he was, right?_

_They started working and after a few minutes Veronica informed the teacher that she finished the assignment. The teacher seemed impressed and sent her off to help kids in trouble. Good to know the teacher was doing her job by sending other students to teach the class._

_Logan raised his hand and looked at the teacher with confusion. She nodded to Veronica (not before shooting him a suspicious glance), who approached him with an unreadable smile._

"_Hey there Dr. Jackal, what can I do for you?" she said teasingly._

_Damnit, she really knew how to turn him on with the smallest things. Self control now. "I can't make it work," he said with phony puzzlement, "don't know where I'm wrong."_

_She leaned to the microscope and examined it, flipping her hair quite cruelly next to his face, close enough for him to smell her shampoo. And her perfume. Damn her. And his friends are close, might be looking. Damn her, damn her, damn her._

"_There," she said after a few seconds, "it wasn't the right lens."_

No duh, Sherlock. "_Good job, Mars, thanks" he said. There was a slight tease in his voice but it could easily be confused with their usual banter. Thankfully, no one expected them to be sworn enemies anymore on account of them not planting bongs in each other lockers or smashing each other's headlights anymore. But the road from there to showing up together at the prom was quite long and quite bumpy._

_Veronica smirked at him, "you're _beary_ welcomed," she said, still leaned next to him._

_Damn her._

Wow. That was a long flashback. Logan got so caught up in it he that didn't even notice he was really standing on the edge of the bridge now. His toes were already placed over nothing and his balance was threatening to follow them.

No worries. It was a nice memory to die with.

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So, better? Dear Lord, I hope so…


	2. Chapter 2

**SLIGHTLY REVAMPED - I am currently in the process of changing and fixing the first chapters of this story on account that they gave me a fever. It's hardly noticable, but still.**

Disclaimer: rolling eyes they're not mine, if they were this would be appearing on TV. Ok? Ok?

A.N: Hey everybody! How's it going?

First of all, thanks to all the wonderful, beautiful, fabulous people who took a chance and pressed the button, you are brave! Plus, you've maid my life happier, you've given me hope! Please don't stop now! And I'm glad you liked that totally made up flashback. I don't know where it came from, I think I just wanted a good LoVe memory that didn't involve making out, because I just don't know how to write that...

Second of all, a giant thanks to my beta reader (ha! I never thought I'd write that) **wildhorses**! I love you!

Ahem, right, I tend to get carried away, sorry. Anyway, this is where the story gets kind of AUish though it still kinda sticks to the plot, it'll just get more and more imaginary as we go... **Hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to press that little purple button again, they say that once you do it, you're never able to stop!**

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"Could he really do it?" Duncan asked with disgust.

Veronica couldn't move, breath, think. "He's psychotic. I watched him beat a guy into a bloody mess and ask Logan how his _school_ day was." Good god, Logan didn't do it (_of course he didn't do it, you stupid bitch)_. "He beats Logan, you know?"

Duncan nodded faintly and then remembered, "He's here now. He came to meet the governor."

_Sure, _Veronica thought, _meet the governor, of course; don't they have a movie together or something?_ She shot Duncan a worried look and sprang up. Must be _practical now_. "I have to get these tapes to my Dad, will you help me?" she asked, close to hysterical. "Will you keep Aaron in your sight at _all times_ until I call you?"

Duncan looked frightened, but answered hurriedly, "Yeah, of course."

Veronica nodded, hoping he won't hyperventilate and _die_ before he gets to Aaron or she gets to her trustworthy dad who will know what to do with all this mess.

"Hey," he called before she left, "be careful. Okay?"

For some reason, she remembered Shelly's party, and how they couldn't even look at each other anymore without feeling sick. "My Dad had a paternity test." she said with a smile, "I'm not your sister."

Duncan looked like a ton of titanium had been lifted off his shoulders. After all, he'd been carrying the burden of incest for an entire year, while she _only _had it for a few days. She wanted to say something else, something soothing, but there was no time to talk.

_At least not with Duncan_, she thought as she dialed Logan's number only to be answered by his _stupid_ machine, sporting a new _stupid_ inspirational message. Veronica took a minute to wonder if he looked through history books in search of those stupid quotes he used, or if he just watched the history channel too much. She left a message anyway.

Next was her dad. "Hey sweetheart," he said casually.

"Dad," she said, barely breathing, "it was Aaron Echolls, he did it. I have a video of Lilly on his bed on the day she died. They were having an affair."

She swore she heard him spit something, "Where are you?"

"I'm just leaving the Kane's," she whispered.

"No, you stay right where you are, I'll be there in a minute."

"No, Dad, he's here," she said, suddenly remembering she was sharing space with a psychotic jackass and maybe it was time to skedaddle. She hurried her pace towards her car, keys already in hand. "He's talking to the governor. Duncan's gonna keep an eye on him, I'll be home in ten minutes."

"Alright," Keith gave up, "you come straight home, you don't stop for anything."

"Okay."

"Not even Logan, you hear me?" he added, reading her mind.

"O_kay_," she said again, and hung up.

She was inside her car in an instant, already feeling a bit safer. This was her own car, her territory. Aaron couldn't invade this space. She remembered suddenly how he drove her home a few weeks ago. God, up until this moment she never realized why she felt so terrified afterwards. He had acted so strange, flirty and suggestive on one hand and a concerned father on the other. All this time, and she was right there in his house car, dating his...

Her phone rang, cutting off her train of thoughts. "Hey," She answered.

"I can't find him," came Duncan's distressed whisper.

_Oh crap,_ "Did you ask around?"

"I've been asking everyone, but no one knows where he is."

Veronica started to sweat a little. "Thanks. Well, call me if you find him."

Duncan was already beyond sweating. "Let me know when you get home. Okay?"

"Okay," she said quickly, "bye."

Was he following her in his car? A quick glance at the rearview mirror told her that wasn't the case. Well, then, did he came looking for the tapes, gave up, and left? Oh, yes, that was an option she wanted to stick with, thank you very much.

Feeling a little more relieved, Veronica picked up her phone again, and dialed Logan's number.

_Oh, screw that damned machine_. "Logan," she breathed, "I know you're angry and I'm _sorry,_ but I need your help. Please, if you find your Dad somewhere keep him distracted and don't let him out of your sight. I'll explain it to you later but please do as I say, it's important… if you see him call me or Duncan, but please don't tell Aaron anything. I'm so sorry."

Errors in judgment are always painful, she reminded herself as the tears threatened to well up at the corners of her eyes. _Maybe I should stop making them so often_.

Maybe Aaron was following her after all? She got to a curve and checked her rearview mirror just in case.

What she saw in it made her scream. Two predatory, yellow eyes staring right at her. "Hello, Veronica," Aaron Echolls (_oh, please no)_ breathed.

"Oh God," she whispered and tried to reach her bag, only to have it snatched away to the backseat (_oh, please no)_.

"You know," he said sympathetically, "that was kind of touching, but I don't think Logan's gonna forgive you that easily. He holds grudges. Drive." He commanded.

It was beyond her how he could speak so casually about Logan when he was looking in her bag for sex tapes of him and his son's _girlfriend_, whom he had _murdered_. Clearly the man was a psycho. If she did as he said, and promised to forget this whole thing and move out of town, will he let this go?

He didn't hear her talk to her dad, he might believe her.

"I've been looking for these for a long ti…" he started to say, fondling the tapes lovingly, but he was cut off when Veronica drove her car into a street lamp. The impact was a lot worse, and hurt a lot more than she had expected. She always wondered if her car was new enough to have air bags installed, apparently, it wasn't.

Veronica passed out and Aaron was thrown all the way back to the passenger's seat.

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Okay, he told himself, no more chickening out. He was there, where his mother had killed herself, it was all symbolic and poetic and he had absolutely no reason to live.

The phone rang, _yet again_. Only this time it was the family ring, reserved for his house, his father and his mother. These days, though, it served more as a smart avoidance system. Whenever he heard the Family Ring (_The Brady Bunch_ theme song, which took forever to find) his brain was automatically programmed to ignore it.

He decided to answer it, though, regardless to who it was, although he had to admit he was hoping it'd be his mother. Anyway, whoever it was, he was going to say goodbye.

"He-_llo_?" he answered brightly, pronouncing every vowel.

"Logan," came Trina's annoyed voice, "it's Trina."

Logan ignored the irritation in her sister's voice like he always did, "Triny!" he called happily, "how you doing, big sister?"

He heard her sigh, "Listen, can you please tell Duncan to get a grip?"

"Why?"

"He called the house like three times already," she said, sounding bored.

Logan frowned. Duncan didn't call anymore these days, but maybe he forgives him now? It won't stop him from jumping, of course, but it'd be a nice send-off to the other world, even if he turns out to be Lilly's killer. "What'd he want?"

"Actually, he was looking for dad," Trina informed him, "he only asked to talk to you when I told him dad's not here. How sad is that, right?"

Logan took another swig of his flask and agreed completely with his sister. Suddenly he realized he forgot what they were talking about already, "Thanks Trina," he squeaked, in case she told him something nice, which was what his drunken mind hoped for, "you're the best!"

Trina sighed again, "You sound drunk. Is there another school dance?"

"I'm not drunk." Logan argued and then added with joy; "Goodbye, big sis! It's been a hoot!"

Maybe he was a little drunk.

He hung up the phone just as Trina puffed and tossed it on the seat of his car (_oh, wait, didn't I plan on throwing it into the water?)_. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and prepared to jump.

_Jump, Logan, _Veronica said.

_Now, Logan_, Veronica urged.

He opened his eyes.

_I can't do it_, realization dawned upon him with a sigh, _I just can't._

He was actually a bit disappointed with himself. He always thought he was angsty enough to do himself in and he was sure as hell doing it for all the right reasons. How did he, of all people, turned out to be the all-talk teenagers everyone rolled their eyes at? How could he be such a coward?

What the hell was _so_ good about living that made him move away from the bridge and drag his feet over to his car?

_Nothing, you coward,_ Veronica spat.

Even now, after she accused him of murder, the strongest thing he felt was a longing to have Veronica's lips on his, or on his neck, or earlobe, or any other place for that matter. He almost had to remind himself she stabbed him in the back, therefore, going to her for comfort like he always did lately, was kind of a stupid, pathetic idea.

_I hate to break it to you, baby, but you're the poster boy for stupid and pathetic, _Veronica mocked.

Logan rolled his eyes at that imaginary Veronica, but his wasted mind actually saw it as a confirmation to go to her. Next thing he knew, he was driving back to his beloved town, the same one he'd wanted to set on fire ever since Lilly had died. All the while he was hoping some truck would just spread his guts all over the highway.

Hey, if he couldn't do the deed himself, might as well give someone else the fair chance.

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Heh, of course Logan wasn't going to kill himself! What kind of monster do you think I am?


	3. Chapter 3

**SLIGHTLY REVAMPED - I am currently in the process of changing and fixing the first chapters of this story on account that they gave me a fever. It's hardly noticable, but still. Here I hardly changed anything, though.**

A.N: Hello, hello people! The time that shall be known as "Second Season Finally Came" is drawing near. Is anyone else restless?

Plus, thanks again and again and again for the terrific people who reviewed my humble little story. I'm glad chapter 2 didn't disappoint, hop ethis one doesn't either. You know how you could let me know? **It only takes one press at the purpleButton-O-Joy**... they say it makes all the problems in your life go away! (I know, I know, who the hell are "they" and what drugs are they on?)

Thanks also to my lovely Beta Reader **Wild Horses's** who is still my idol. I hope you're reading this, darling, because this chapter is especially dedicated to you.

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From her place in The Land of Unconsciousness, Veronica could hear the faint sound of an angel's harp.

Oh wait, that was just her cellphone. And the black infinity she was seeing turned out to be a side effect from her eyes being shut. She tried to open them, but that was not as easy as it seemed. She considered answering the phone, but even thinking about it seemed too hard.

_Oh wait,_ she suddenly remembered, _wasn't I supposed to deliver some vital evidence about the Lilly Kane murder investigation? And wasn't a psychotic killer just threatening me or something?_

Her eyes snapped open. She found that she could think quite clearly despite the throbbing pain she felt in her temple and the somewhat less painful, though more stinging, pain in her forehead, from where her head had collided with the now smashed window of The Le Baron.

Aaron was lying next to her completely unconscious. _Thank god he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. _It seemed that not even a bucket of icy water could wake him up now. Not that she was going to test that theory.

Veronica whimpered fearfully as she carefully reached out and took the tapes from his back pocket. In her mind she could see him waking up and killing her with one sharp blow, like he had Lilly. That thought, besides making her whimper even more, stopped her from grabbing her cellphone as well, which was under him on the floor, where he could easily snap her neck.

She wanted out. Now. Before the psycho woke up and showed her why the only part he knew how to play in his movies was the villain.

She stepped out of the car as quickly as she could, considering her legs felt slightly numb and her whole body felt as if it had been shaken up and spit out of a blender. What was that they said in First Aid?

"_A seatbelt can save your life in a high-speed crash. But remember, despite having it fastened, you're still crashing into something at a speed of seventy miles an hour. That can cause all sorts of damage. Including internal bleeding and injuries to your internal organs."_

But she couldn't spare even a second to think about that.

She saw a house in the distance and knocked frantically on the door, begging for whoever was inside to open it. But whether it was because no one was home or no one was answering strangers after sunset, she was met with a chilling silence.

As she moved towards the garage of the house she saw something that made the blood in her veins freeze.

The passenger door of her car was open. The car was completely empty. Aaron was awake and, apparently, mobile.

She quickly shoved one tape into a washing machine, one tape into some plant and the last one she threw onto the roof before knocking on the door and calling again, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

She took a step back to make sure the tape was safely placed on the roof and almost fell down from the balcony with a scream. She thought it was Aaron pulling her in. She was getting more paranoid by the minute.

A light in the upper window caused her to resume knocking on the door. After a few endless seconds she was greeted by a white trash looking guy in his 40s. While she was begging him to let her in she couldn't help thinking he really looked like a rapist. But better to be raped than killed. In theory.

Theory was lost as Aaron knocked the guy out and punched her through the glass, injuring them both even further.

Heh, there was The Land of Unconsciousness again.

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As Logan drove through the lovely streets of Neptune, he could hear the familiar sound of a bike not so far behind him. Weevil's bike. Running into Weevil, the perfect way to end a terrific day. What could be worse? Hmm, not much.

They drove together to Dog Beach which was _kind of_ where they officially met for the first time, when Weevil smashed his fist through Logan's nose. Good times.

Weevil got off his bike and called: "You really thought you'd get off that easy?"

Logan got out of his SUV with a smirk, "Hey Weev, how's it hanging?"

Weevil shrugged, "I heard the weirdest thing today," he paused. "Word says you killed Lilly… ain't that funny?"

Logan shrugged with a beam, "That Word. What a guy, he always seems to be spreading rumors, when does he have time to study?"

Weevil, who wasn't known for having too much patient or self control, punched him in the nose before asking: "Why'd you do it man? To Lilly of all people?"

Logan's blood boiled. "Listen man," he scoffed, "I'll do the ridiculous fist fight thing if you want. But don't ever even insinuate that I ever hurt Lilly, _in any way_," by that point he was already yelling.

Weevil seemed infuriated, he punched Logan again, "Stop bullshitting me man, why'd you do it?"

Logan stumbled for a bit, but managed to keep his balance somehow. His nose was already bleeding, and probably broken, but he didn't give a damn. "I _DIDN'T_ do it!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Sure you didn't," Weevil sneered.

"Shut up!" Logan screamed.

Weevil might not have expected the punch Logan threw at him, but since Logan was so drunk and his punch was so slow, he had no trouble avoiding it. He laughed mockingly and punched Logan back, this time in the gut.

Logan doubled over, but managed to stay standing, his nose was bleeding furiously, "Screw you man."

Weevil laughed, "Man, you're so drunk this won't even look like a fair fight…."

He was so busy enjoying the moment that he didn't notice Logan's elbow heading for his nose, until it was too late.

That really set off the fight. It was hard to say in the dark who was where and who was winning. Actually, to the casual observer, it would seem like two angry dogs fighting, or a couple having wild sex right in the middle of the beach. In this case, the casual observer was Deputy Leo.

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Liked it? Hated it? Want to say hello? All you have to do is just take a quick press at the little purple button at the bottom... oh, come on, don't hold back... you know you want to... you know you want to express yourselvs... don't give into society's rules...


	4. Chapter 4

**SLIGHTLY REVAMPED - I am currently in the process of changing and fixing the first chapters of this story on account that they gave me a fever. It's hardly noticable, but still. Again, almost nothing's changed here, just added a few thingies.**

Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah...

Hello to all the Wonderful People in the Internet world! As usual, I'm extra-perky when I write these A.Ns, I hope you all are already used to it. How's everyone doing?

Ahem, right, mental health - check. Anyway, I'm glad you're all enjoying the story so far (andthe evil manipulations I use to get you guys to review) and thanks for letting me know! Seriously, I _LOVE_ reviewes, there the only thing keeping me alive! Ahem, I think that mental health thing is slipping...

So, before I go completly insane and start dreaming about flying monkeys - let me just say that I hope you enjoy this chapter and pretty please (with sugary, salty and spicey stuff on top) review! You hear me? **_Please REVIEW!_** I'll sell my soul to you! For free! And thanks again to my sweet and wonderful beta reader - **_Wild Horses's!_** I love you!

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This time when Veronica opened her eyes, the black infinity surrounding her didn't go away. It took her a few seconds to realize that this was because she was trapped in a small… box? A box with a limited amount of air and secure as a vault. She screamed.

"Veronica?" she heard Aaron's cheery voice and panicked momentarily, thinking he was there with her. "You're an odd duck," he continued, "I mean, how many teenaged girls keep walkie-talkies in their cars?"

Veronica felt her way to the source of the sound and found her trusty walkie-talkie. Turning it on and pressing the REC button, a red light turned on, illuminating the inside of a fridge. She tried to break out. But for some reason, even though milk boxes wouldn't usually try to escape, the fridge couldn't be opened from the inside. Probably because it wasn't meant to be. "What have you done to me?" she asked, trying her best to subdue the shaking in her voice.

"Veronica dear," he said lightly, ignoring her, "where're my tapes? I'll let you out as soon as I have my tapes back."

"No thanks," she breathed, "honestly I feel safer in here."

"Well you shouldn't," he said in a voice that meant only trouble.

Veronica shuddered when she realized how exactly he knew that the tapes weren't actually on her. She could almost feel Aaron's slippery hands going through her body, and she having no ability to resist any of it, _again._

"What do you think it'll be like for you?" he mused while pouring the gasoline generously over the fridge, "People won't know what to think. They're so used to hating you they might think it was all for the best you died."

Was that gasoline she smelled? She always recognized that smell, because it was the worst smell in the world.

"I never really got it, you know," he continued, "adults hating a 17 year old kid. I mean, why? Just because her dad accused the wrong man? Still, there will probably be a few who'll cry for you, saying you were just a kid after all and it wasn't your fault you were born into such a screwed up family."

Veronica sobbed. All this funeral chat wasn't doing her any good.

"Logan'll cry a little. Probably." he continued viciously. "Oh, who am I kidding, he's such a drama-queen he'll probably cry for a few months straight," he added, laughing privately. "But eventually he'll realize that life is a lot easier without you around." then he suddenly whispered: "Veronica, where are the tapes?" Then he returned to screaming again: "Veronica, where are the tapes! Where are my tapes!"

Her heart pounded in her chest and her eyes stung from the salty tears which, because she was lying down, were slipping painfully back into her eyes. She found herself hoping there was a handle on the fridge so that she could keep the door firmly shut.

Aaron banged on the refrigerator and continued asking for the tapes. She heard him sigh. "You know," he said dangerously, "Lilly never told me where the tapes were hidden either," she could hear the evil grin in his voice, "I kinda think there's a cautionary tale in that, Veronica. Something like: I'm not gonna let some seventeen year old piece of ass RUIN MY LIFE!" he screamed and kicked the fridge again.

"They're on the roof," Veronica said tearfully, "I put them on the roof, please let me out."

She continued to cry into the walkie-talkie while he climbed onto the roof. It was only a half-truth, and she knew he was going to be extra pissed off and murderous when he didn't find all three tapes there. But she hoped her father would get there before that happened.

And soon enough, she heard her father's distant call.

"Dad?" she called back desperately.

Next she heard a series of bangs and groans, punctuated by things being thrown to the ground and glass shattering. Her gut twisted. Logan said he studies Tae-Kwan-Do. _Please let Dad be the winner._

And then, when the noises stopped, she suddenly felt hot. Oh god, she thought with sheer panic. He lit me up. He lit the fire.

The flames roared in her ears, blocking out all other noises, including her beating heart. The fire was consuming all the air in the little space and she could feel herself breathing air that was soaked with smoke. She cried out for her dad.

She knew that if her dad wasn't the winner - which seemed to be the case because, after all, her surroundings were on fire and it was doubtful that her dad would approve of that - the smoke was going to kill her. A slow death by suffocation, just great. She wondered which breath would be the end of her. This one? No, it was just painful. That one? Nope, it was just excruciating.

Suddenly, the fridge door swung open and the terrifying sight of flames, which were way too close for comfort, welcomed her. She saw her dad stepping away from the fire and dropping himself to the ground. His pants were on fire.

"Dad!" she cried before grabbing a blanket and putting out the raging flames. She leaned into him, crying. "I love you," she said hoarsely, "I knew you'd save me."

And then she felt limp. As if her body was willing to let her do that one last thing but now it was really giving up. _Not now, damn it! It's not over yet._

Keith coughed a little and leaned back on the pavement. "Are you ok, honey?" he wheezed worriedly when he noticed she could barely support herself.

She nodded weakly. "Where is he?" she whispered, "We need to get him."

To her immense horror, Keith's eyes slowly closed, despite her protests. Just then, she heard Backup barking and a few seconds later, a car screeching to a halt. _Gotcha, you sick son of a bitch. _She got up on her feet and limped her way towards the noise.

"Oh, my God," she saw some scruffy driver in the distance say with awe, "you're _Aaron Echolls_!"

Aaron nodded weakly. "Help me." He whispered.

"Don't touch him!" Veronica called hoarsely, her father's gun held firmly in front of her, aimed at Aaron Echolls's head. The guy straightened up, startled. "Do you have a cellphone?" she asked.

The guy nodded just as Keith limped to the scene. His chest swelled with pride, even though technically Veronica had done just about everything necessary to earn herself a good old fashion grounding.

"Call 911," she said, with a look of determination, even though she felt like her lungs were covered in tar, "we need an ambulance, the police and the fire department."

--------------------------------

By the time the cops, ambulance and fire department got to the scene (all at the same time, funny town), Veronica was already feeling a little dizzy. She and Keith were comfortably seated in their car, with Backup sniffing away in the back seat.

"You mean the world to me," she whispered weakly, "do you understand that? I love you."

Keith chuckled noiselessly, "Who's your daddy?"

Veronica was on the verge of both tears and laughter as she answered: "I hate it when you say that."

When the emergency crews arrived, they put Aaron on a stretcher first and Keith on a second one. They were both conscious when Jake Kane's truck pulled in.

Duncan wanted to go to Veronica, who was now standing beside her father, but Jake pushed him back. "You killed my daughter," he snarled at Aaron.

When the cops grabbed him, he started to yell, "You killed my daughter and you're gonna pay for it! I want you fried, Aaron! I'll destroy your family and everyone you've ever loved!" The cops dragged him to the patrol car and arrested him for obstruction of justice, "You killed my daughter!" he continued screaming, "I'll make you pay Aaron! My daughter!"

Duncan looked distressed and lost. This was not how the evening was supposed to turn out. He was supposed to smile a few plastic smiles, go to his room, and think about how he killed his own sister. He sent Veronica a look that asked 'Is it over now?' Veronica tried to smile, but all she wanted to do was cry.

She wanted to ride with her father but the ambulance didn't have enough room (what with 3 grown man stuffed in the back) and the paramedics said that it would be better if she didn't contaminate the ambulance and that she'd be better to ride with the police, even though she clearly needed medical attention. It didn't help, of course, that she refused to receive immediate care, claiming that the ambulance should get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Duncan seemed to be glad to have something to do, "I can take you," he offered, "we'll go straight to the hospital."

Veronica smiled weakly, "Can we make a quick stop first?"

Duncan lowered his eyes. Maybe Veronica wasn't his sister but she wasn't his girl either. "I'll call him on the way. You need help."

Veronica dumped herself on the seat, "I actually feel fine, you know, considering…"

Duncan smiled and caressed her hair, "You will tell me what happened when you wake up, right?"

She nodded, already feeling her eyelids becoming heavy, "I'm sorry I got your dad arrested."

"It's not your fault. He tried to protect me." He smiled softly, "Now get some rest. We'll be there in a few minutes."

She looked as if she wanted to say something else.

"I'll call him, just sleep," he said with a sigh.

-------------------------------------

Say, have you heard of this awesome new play called **_"Review Review Review"_**? Or the other one called "**_The Guy Who Didn't Review and Got Eaten by The Giant Buffy Snake"_**? Oh, you haven't? Well, that's probably why we at are giving away free tickets to whoever reviewes! So, don't miss your chance to once again witness the giant Buffy Snake and review now!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Oh Pah-lease (that was supposed to be read in a _Full House _voice).

Hello to everyone, how was your week? Mine was a disaster. Until, of course, I read all the wonderful reviewes you guys left me. I'm am forever grateful for you all, and for my Beta Reader **wildhorses's** for basically putting up with me. I'm glad you like my creative ways to getting to **_REVIEW(!)_** but I fear the day where I run out of those are near.

Say, how was the Buffy snake? I haven't talked to him in ages! That old foogey...

By the way, anonymus reviewes are now "enabled". I'm sorry about that, I didn't even know those were disabled until _tchele_ wrote it tome.I was all "Whaaaaa?"Talk about _embarassing..._

Ahem... um... still a little awkward... say... doesn't Veronica Mars _rock_? Season 2 is finally approaching! Stay spoiler free, people! Peace out!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, my sweets.

------------------------------

The patrol car caught them both by surprise. Although, truthfully, Logan was pretty happy to see it arrive. What with being spread out across the pavement and being kicked repeatedly by Weevil, a little intervention - even if it was by the cops - was a good thing. Even his masochism had limits.

They stood up, Logan with a slight limp.

"Hey," Deputy Leo called as he stepped out of the car, "what the hell's going on here?"

Logan and Weevil exchanged looks and tried to stay out of the light so that their bruises wouldn't be so evident. Neither of them needed any more trouble with the police.

"_Eli_ was just offering me a ride home." Logan murmured brightly.

"Yeah," Weevil confirmed and raised his chest a little, "he's too drunk to drive, it could be dangerous, and I wouldn't want to be _responsible_ for something happening to my 'pal' here"

Leo nodded skeptically, "That's very considerate of you," he sneered before suddenly realizing who they were. "Hey, aren't you the guy who broke into the Kane's house?"

Weevil shrugged in response.

"And you," Leo turned to Logan, "you're drunk in public? _Again_?"

Logan frowned, "Do I know you?"

"So can we go?" Weevil asked impatiently, blatantly ignoring the widely known fact that when speaking to a cop, one should kiss major ass.

Leo, a little bitter with both of them (especially Weevil, whom he assumed was the one Veronica had dumped him for), seemed to consider it, "I think maybe I should take you in. Maybe it'll teach you to…" he was interrupted by the radio in his car, "Hang on."

He went back to the car and answered it. Logan and Weevil stood in icy silence, sending hateful glares at each other while hearing bits of the conversation. It seemed all officers available (6 out of 10) were being called to some location, as soon as possible.

Leo climbed out again and said, "This is probably you're lucky night."

"Knew I should've bought that lottery ticket," Logan snarked.

Leo looked at him intently. Maybe this was actually the asshole Veronica had dumped him for, it was hard to tell, they were both complete screw-ups. "I might come by tomorrow to have a little chat with you about underaged drinking."

Logan chuckled, "Should I have the tea ready?"

"More of a coffee person, thanks" Leo said good heartedly (The kid's been through some crap but he has to learn. Plus, what does he have that I don't?), "What's your name again?"

"Oliver Twist," Logan sneered.

Leo raised his eyebrows disapprovingly, "Good night _Oliver_, _Eli_."

As he drove away, Logan murmured: "I really didn't kill her," he was a lot less drunk now, "I loved her more than anything."

Weevil felt sorry for him despite himself, because, after all, there was pathetic, and there was _pathetic._ "We'll see about that," he said before climbing onto his bike and disappearing into the night.

Logan could feel the tears welling up again. He held them in until he was safely seated in his car and only then did he finally let himself cry for everything that had happened that day.

He didn't know how much time had passed. Suddenly, his phone rang.

"Logan," he heard Duncan's exhausted voice, "I think you should come to the hospital."

"What?" he was confused, "What happened?"

"Just get here," Duncan snapped and hung up.

_Oh. What. Ever._

_-----------------------------_

Hey, would you like a **_REVIEW_** with that cop of coffee? No? What the hell? What kind of weirdos are you? Don't you know that it's a tradition to have some **_REVIEW_** with your coffee? It's been done since the Dark Ages! Oh, you will have some? Great! I'll put it on your bill! Well, of course it's not free. There's no such thing as a free **_REVIEW_**, you know... (ok, not my best, but go with it).


	6. Chapter 6

Hello there, everyone, how's it going? Counting days until season 2? Yeah, I thought so... there are stills of the first episode already (no spoilers! Promise!), I just couldn't resist. Since there's no storyline yet, I feel comfortable complaining about Veronica's stupid, weird, ugly hair! I mean, what the hell? Her hair was so beautiful! Ahem, ok, then, moving on...

First off, forever thanks to **wildhorses's**, who, in addition to being my lovable Beta-Reader has a really cute story here called "fallout".

Second of all, a huge thanks to everyone who reviewsed my story! I can't tell you how good it feels to read a good feedback, though, if you have any bad feedbacks, go right ahead! Also, to Sailor Grape (Hee), who asked about the title of this story: it's what I thought after the third time I watched LITB and got over the shock... because, after all, all the finale happened because of Beaver, so I imagine Logan would probably also think to himself _'Gee, thanks a lot, buddy_,' if he ever finds out he was the one who ratted him out. So there.

Ok, I know, way to long A.Ns, but I do enjoy them... I hope you enjoy this chapter!

------------------------------

Logan reached the hospital before Duncan. He looked around, completely sober now, and tried to understand why he was there exactly.

Then, a split second later, a crowd of people entered. Sheriff Lamb was there. Two other cops, two doctors and two paramedics were also present. Moments later, Logan panicked as he realized Aaron Echolls was also there, lying on a hospital bed.

The doctors barked instructions as they all entered a surgery room with Logan following closely behind in a state of shock. _Oh, so that's why Duncan wanted me to come? Because my dad apparently got into a brawl with the governor or something?_

"What happened?" he finally managed to ask as the doctor stitched his father's cheek. He noticed his father's eyes were open. "Dad, what happened?"

Lamb looked at him pretty sympathetically, which was totally unnerving and just plain weird. "Maybe you should wait outside kid," he said, "I think it might be better."

Logan shook his head, "No way. I'm not leaving."

The sheriff shrugged, "Suit yourself. I still think…"

"I'm not leaving," Logan snapped, "you can't make me."

Lamb shrugged again and turned to the doctor, "Is he lucid?"

"I'm not sure," the doctor murmured, "Mr. Echolls, can you hear me?"

It really pissed Logan off when people knew his father's name when they weren't supposed to.

Aaron looked dazed.

"I don't think he's lucid enough," the doctor said, "he might be in shock. Mr. Echolls?"

"I'm not saying anything without my lawyer," came Aaron's weak response.

The doctor shrugged, "Give it a try."

Lamb took a deep breath, "Alright then, by the book. Aaron Echolls, you're being placed under arrest for one count of obstruction of justice…"

_That's it?_ Logan thought, more than a little disappointed.

"Two counts of assault in the first degree," the sheriff continued. Logan was beginning to feel rather joyful, he hoped the list grew longer.

"The murder of Lillian Kane," he said, side glancing at Logan, "and the attempted murder of Veronica Mars," he finished quickly, probably anticipating Logan's nervous breakdown, "you have the right to remain silent…"

Logan blinked: "What?"

"Everything you say can and will be used against you…" Lamb continued, ignoring him. This was his shining moment, his crowning glory and he wasn't about to be interrupted.

"What did you just say?" Logan gasped.

He got no response from the other two cops, who were staring at his dad with amazement and awe, as if he had just saved a baby from a fire, not tried to burn a girl alive.

With his gut twisting painfully, Logan walked out of the surgery room. He spun around, trying to find someone to explain the situation to him. His first instinct was to look for Veronica, but just thinking about her made his ears ring with the words 'attempted murder'. His second choice was Duncan. He had sent for him, he damn well better explain what was going on!

Instead of Duncan, another entourage of people arrived. This group had only one doctor, two paramedics and a single stretcher.

The person on the stretcher was Keith Mars. He seemed to be suffering from some pretty bad looking burns and some mild bruising. He was conscious.

"Logan?" he seemed surprised to see him, and maybe he was a little drugged too, "Where's Veronica?"

Logan felt desperate, _how the freaking hell should I know?_ But luckily Keith was wheeled away before he had to provide an actual answer. Another similar crowd followed, only this time the man on the stretcher was some ugly guy he didn't know. And Logan was not known for caring too much about strangers. He assumed this was the second "assault in the first degree".

He was starting to sweat. If the assault charges were, obviously, true, it meant that Veronica was going to be wheeled in at any minute. The thought terrified him. Where the hell was Duncan?

Like in a bad movie, with cheesy dramatic cues, Duncan waltzed into the hospital, right on time. He had one arm around Veronica, half supporting her as they walked through the hall. Logan's heart shattered to pieces when he saw them together like that, but it broke even more as he took in Veronica's appearance.

Her face, aside from being extremely pale, was covered in a large painful looking bruise extending under her eye, she also had a bleeding wound on the side of her forehead and she was stained with what looked like smoke. She was limping, her clothes – a waitress uniform? – were slightly scorched and her knuckles were bleeding.

Duncan and Veronica seemed to be in the middle of an argument.

"Come on Veronica," Duncan urged, and although he sounded worried, he also sounded immensely relieved, "medical care is needed."

Veronica looked a little hazy as she argued stubbornly: "But I want to see my dad."

Duncan chuckled wearily, "_Your_ dad will be fine. Come on, let's go."

She shook her head and tried to resist his dragging, "I feel fine, really, just some…" she suddenly looked up and noticed Logan standing in the middle of the hallway, looking completely lost.

"Logan?" she called happily and they both approached him, "You came, I knew you'd come," she beamed.

Logan felt the sudden urge to kiss her. After a long and horrible day without her, he felt like he really needed her. Regardless of the fact that she was the cause of the horrible events of the past day.

Instead, he grabbed her as gently as he could by the shoulders, taking her away from a reluctant Duncan, "What happened to you?" he asked fiercely, his concern evident.

Veronica just kept smiling tenderly, "I knew you'd forgive me," She whispered. "I meant what I said in that message."

His heart shattered again. He looked into her eyes and he could actually feel his heart shattering. She looked so fragile, like someone had tried to break her, (his father, good god!) and just barely failed. He brushed a strand of bloody hair from her face and glanced at Duncan, who looked just as heartbroken as he felt.

He was about to ask him what happened when suddenly Veronica collapsed in his arms. With a rush of panic, Logan held her and looked around, trying to find someone, anyone. "We need a doctor here!" he called desperately, trying to support her non-existent weight.

Duncan held her from behind and joined Logan in calling for a doctor. And soon enough, one approached them, followed by a nurse with yet another stretcher.

"She was just fine a second ago," Duncan muttered as he and Logan placed Veronica on the stretcher, "I don't know what happened."

The doctor nodded and pressed a stethoscope to Veronica's chest. He listened for a few seconds before saying to the nurse, "Shallow beats. My guess is internal bleeding. Her breathing is erratic, she may also have a punctured lung." He instructed the nurses to take her straight to the ER.

--------------------------

Whew, _intense..._

Anyway, forgetting about this silly story, did you know that doctors found that**_AREVIEW_**makes you happier? I swear! 9 out of ten doctors recommend it to all their patients, and the tenth doctor has just retired to death valley, not in the literal way... So, what do you say? Fnacy some? I got it in the black market, they sell the best **_REVIEWS_** ever!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Excuse me?If that show was mine I'd... probably faint.

Oh, and by the way, I just saw that sneak preview thing for season 2 on SPOILERS, promise!) and since I can't talk about anything (except to say that it looks GREAT!), we'll just stick with Kristen Bell's hair, which, I correct myself, looks awesome! Awesome! Thank Goodness!

Right, then, topic now. I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter! It was my way of avoiding the "who's at the door" scene because I really can't handle it... Besides, I was really ticked off about Veronica coming out of a major car accident without so much as a few scratches, especially because in first-aid class I was in we had a teacher who traumatized me for life talking about the things that can happen to a person who goes through a car accident, even if he's wearing his seatbelt. Not to mention Aaron? Getting up and prancing around? No way.

Ok, then, moving on, thanks as always to **wildhorses's** for reading this stuff in advance, and to everyone who **_REVIEWS!_** Have fun, guys!

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Twenty minutes had passed since Veronica was lead into the emergency room. Duncan and Logan had followed close behind the stampede of doctors; anxious to see what condition she was in.

And now all the two boys could do was sit outside the room and wait impatiently. Duncan used the time to fill Logan in on everything he knew about the events of the night, being as gentle as he could when he told him about his father's affair with Lilly and what Veronica speculated had happened the day she was murdered. But Duncan wasn't sure what had transpired between Veronica and Mr. Echolls after they left the party, and to say it didn't hang uncomfortably between them, well, it'd be lying.

Logan felt something painfully pressing on his lungs. This was too much, _way _too fast. . When he had wished his father would get as much jail time as possible he hadn't hoped it would involve killing (or at least trying to kill) his girlfriends. A simple tax fraud would have been sufficient. But no, Aaron Echolls _always_ went for the jackpot. _Stupid_ asshole.

He desperately needed something to do. _Anything. _For a minute he even contemplated checking up on his father, but quickly decided he didn't care in the least. Instead, he turned to his worn out best friend and asked: "what about you, man? How are you handling things?"

Duncan chuckled, "How am _I_ handling things? You're the one who just discovered…" he looked away, embarrassed.

"My father is a psychotic killer?" Logan added, lowering his eyes, "A psychotic killer who happened to be having an affair with my jailbait girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Sums it up," Duncan said, a bit too cheerfully and instantly regretted it, "I'm sorry man," he said, "it's just that… ever since you told me about the files, I thought it was me. So…"

"You're bordering on ecstatic," Logan completed serenely, "I get it."

Duncan shrugged apologetically but Logan waved his hand, motioning that it was all good.

He wasn't angry with Veronica anymore because suddenly he remembered that just seconds ago he was pretty sure Duncan had done it. And if he could suspect his oldest friend, who had no motive for killing Lily, he could understand why Veronica would suspect Lily's wounded, slightly crazy and intense, ex-boyfriend.

He wasn't angry, but it still _hurt_, damnit.

What Logan couldn't put behind him was Lilly. He felt like a piano fell on his head every time he thought about Lilly willingly sleeping with his father. His Lilly. Weevil was one thing, but his _father_? And god knows how long it had been going on before they had broken up for the last time.

And his dad. Damn. He must've known how much he loved Lily, even though he was never around. She was his _girlfriend_. They must have met one time when she came to see Logan _as his girlfriend_. Did his dad covet her right away? Was she the one who started the whole thing?

"Dude, what happened to your face?" Duncan asked, suddenly noticing that Logan had a pink, rapidly darkening, bruise under his eye.

"Got into a little argument with Weevil," Logan answered as if it was the least important thing in the world, which it was, obviously.

Duncan nodded, "Hum… are you alright?"

Logan snapped back to reality, "Yeah man, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Duncan insisted, "Because you don't look so hot…"

"Hey, it's been a long night," Logan reminded him, "but I'm fine, really."

Duncan nodded nervously, "Then I think I should go call my dad…"

"Oh yeah," Logan said, "can you apologize for my family?" he added, lowering his eyes.

Duncan nodded understandingly and disappeared with his cellphone.

It made Logan remember about his own turned off cellphone and about what Veronica had said earlier. He quickly yanked it from his pocket and waited impatiently until it turned on.

"Logan, it's Veronica," he heard her half-hasted, half-joyful voice, "listen, I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry. For everything. I know it wasn't you, of course it wasn't… it never is. Anyway, I know you probably don't wanna hear anything from me, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm here for you… and that… I-love-you, really. Anyway, I'll be out groveling on your doorstep soon enough, right now I'm just too happy to think… also, I gotta run. Tell you about it later. So… bye."

Logan felt drained. Completely drained. Screw this.

He almost wanted to laugh. The message was so like her – short and sweet. Plus, it was nice to know that she _finally_ stopped blaming him for everything that was wrong with her life. About time too, they were running out of crimes.

The next message was from Duncan, who attempted to sound casual but failed miserably, "Hey man, it's Duncan. Listen, I need to find your dad. It's urgent. I can't explain over the phone, especially when you're not answering. Anyway, can you please call me immediately if you see him? And can you please not let him out of your sight? Thanks man, I'll explain as soon as I get the chance. Bye."

_Yeah man, thanks for being so honest,_ he thought. Although, from the third message (which was also from Veronica), he gathered she hasn't been too honest with him either. They both apparently thought that it was ok to ask him to do things for them without telling him anything, which, to be honest, made him a little angry. Even though what they had been asking him to do was distract his psychotic, murdering father.

But oh well, in days like these, grudges seemed to be pushed back out of the way and forgotten. Right now all he cared about was Veronica getting out of surgery. She had to be okay. She just had to be, too much has happened already.

He should probably call Trina. She was his sister after all, even though he hated her guts.

With a sigh, he made a quick call, telling her what had happened in footnotes and adding that she should come to the hospital _immediately_ because Aaron was in bad shape. It felt good to say that out loud. Too bad his dad wasn't dying, because he imagined saying the words '_Dad's gonna kick off_' would have wiped all his sadness away.

Duncan came back and rubbed his temples, "This is a mess."

"Why?"

"I called my mom so she could post the bail," Duncan said wearily, "but apparently they took her in too. So now I have to go… anyway, I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

Logan gave him one of his I'm-lying-please-don't-leave-me-alone smiles, "No. Go man, I'll be fine."

"You sure you'll be ok here on your own?"

It was nice that even after all they'd been through – Logan dating Duncan's Joey Potter, Duncan believing Logan was the killer and Logan believing Duncan was the killer, plus, the past year in general – they still cared about each other enough to ignore all that baggage.

"I'm sure. Don't worry about me."

Duncan nodded skeptically and opened his mouth.

But Logan knew what he wanted. "I'll call you the minute they let me know. Promise."

-------------------------

"_God Lilly, it was just a kiss," he said exasperatedly, throwing his hands, "I was drunk, for god's sake, stop being such a bitch!"_

_They were in her room, she had just dumped him again, this time for kissing Yolanda, and his attempts at begging for her forgiveness had gone a bit downhill somewhere along the way._

"_Get over yourself Logan," Lilly shot back, "I don't care about you kissing some girl."_

_That hurt. "Then what the hell's wrong with you?"_

_Llily shot him an uncaring look, which seemed a bit vicious in his opinion, "This is getting kinda boring, these jealous rages. You don't own me, no one owns me." She could be kind of cold sometimes._

_Logan rolled his eyes, "Can you blame me for being jealous? Look at you, Llily! You're a slut! I can't trust you at all," he yelled desperately._

"_Boo freakin' hoo," Lilly retorted flatly before grabbing his backpack from the floor and tossing it at his chest, "I think reality's calling now. Thanks for stopping by. Have fun in Mexico."_

_Logan looked at her silently; his eyes glistened, and shook his head. "See how long this breakup lasts," he snarked, "a month is our record," he reminded her._

_Lilly placed her hands over her hips and raised her head, "I think I'm gonna break it. Now go cling on someone else."_

"_Yeah," Logan said, not as un-sincerely as he would have liked, "I love you too, Lily."_

"_Kisses."_

_And that was the last time he spoke to her, although it wasn't the last time he saw her._

_-------------------------_

He remembered watching her a few days later at the car wash. She was cheerful and lively, playing with the soap and fooling around with Veronica. So completely _not_ mourning their breakup. He, on the other hand, was starting to resemble a rag that had been used too many times on an ungrateful floor, more and more each day.

He knew at that moment that it was definitely over. He couldn't be with a person who cared about him _so_ little, even if it was Lilly and even if he was crazy in love with her. She clearly didn't love him as much as he loved her, she probably didn't love him at all, and that thought was a bit too much to bear. And he just couldn't pretend he didn't mind them having a casual relationship anymore.

So he sat in the car and wrote her a goodbye letter in which he unloaded everything he felt and thought about their 3 years relationship. Which naturally lead to a five page angst fest. He walked out of his car and placed the letter and the shot glass gently on the passenger's seat of hers. Looking back now, he couldn't remember seeing any tapes there; maybe she had picked them up later.

Looking back, if Veronica and Duncan didn't find the letter in Lilly's air vent and no one else found it when they searched the room and her car, he assumed she had probably thrown it away, just like she had thrown away their relationship. He hoped she had at least read it, although she might have been too worked up from her juicy secret and just tossed it out of the window. That really hurt. Damnit.

Logan sprung up when the doctor stepped out of the surgery room, "How is she?" he snapped.

"Are you a relative?"

"I'm a fri…" he started to say but then stopped himself and tried to sound determined as he corrected his words, "I'm her _boyfriend_."

The doctor smiled sympathetically, no doubt thinking this kid was delusional. "She's going to be ok," he said. It was the same line he'd been saying for 10 years (but at least it was better than the 'I'm sorry, there was nothing we could do' line).

"Can I see her?" Logan asked even more urgently, "Is she conscious?"

"Won't be for about 12 hours, until the anesthesia wears off," the doctor answered, "you should probably get that bruise taken care and get some rest."

Logan ignored it completely, "Can I see her?" he asked again.

The doctor sighed. They never listened to that advice, "Sure. But I should really find a relative of hers," _a real relative, _he almost added.

"Her dad's somewhere in here," Logan said distractedly, contemplating on whether or not he should tackle the annoying doctor to get him out of the way, "his name is Keith Mars."

The doctor nodded and wrote it down in his notebook, "Thanks. And son? Please _try_ to get some rest." He added before disappearing.

Again, Logan ignored him completely and almost knocked over a nurse on his way to the room.

He was afraid to see her connected to all kinds of menacing tubes and IVs, but to his relief, Veronica was just lying peacefully on the bed as if she slept through the whole night and didn't actually have a clue about what was going on. Yeah, _right._

He sat next to her and gently took her hand. He pressed the part that wasn't bandaged to his lips and took a few deep breathes. The doctors had obviously cleaned and disinfected her, but he could still faintly smell the smoke and gasoline that he had smelled before, when she was just brought in. He shuddered as he tried to imagine what would cause that smell.

He got up, looked at her for a long time, making sure she was really asleep and kissed her forehead softly (much like he did earlier before he found out she _turned him over to the police_) before leaving the room.

He called Duncan and informed him of the situation. After that short conversation (Duncan said he'd be there in no time, of course) Logan braced himself and walked into the reception area.

"Can I help you?" the woman, who's name was Sally, asked nicely, although the phone kept ringing and she seemed to be under some stress.

"What room is Aaron Echolls in?" he asked, as usual, without a slight hint of politeness. A person could change, but only to some extent.

Sally the Receptionist instantly lost her kindness, "Are you a relative?" she demanded, "Because if you're not, I'm not allowed to give out…"

Logan interrupted her by taking out his ID, "I'm his son."

"You're Logan Echolls?" there she was, kind again but this time, there was awe in her voice.

"So it says," he answered shortly and added before she had time to ask for an autograph of his dad: "The room?"

"ER, room 22, third floor." Sally looked disappointed, she heard, read and saw everything that was published about the Echolls' and knew that their beady little teenage son was unkind in general and to fans and press specifically. Still, she had hoped her sweetness would melt him a little. Ungrateful _Punk_.

_ER, _he thought as he walked towards the elevator, dragging his feet, _I hope he dies on the table._ It would have been poetic justice for him to die during surgery seeing as how in '_The Pursuit of Happiness'_ he had played acomatosed man who's chances of waking up were slimmer than a spider's web until new good looking Dr. Mitchell was assigned to treat him. She, of course, tried some miracle treatment on him and saved his life. The movie ended with him opening his eyes, telling her she was the most beautiful creature he has ever seen and kissing her. Dr. Mitchell was Lynn Echolls' first role in Hollywood.

It didn't really matter if he survived, though, because he was bound to get the death sentence anyway.

------------------------

Hey, how about them **_REVIEWS_**? I know, I know,they're having anincredible season!That **_REVIEW_** 106guys is on fire!I bet you'd like to put some money on that team, huh? Well, no need! All you have to do is press that little purple button (yes, the one that is addictive and gets you play tickets) and you'll get a life long worth of _Gigli _DVDs Seriously, you can give them to all your friends! You could sell them! You could use them as cup holders! Isn't it amazing?

No? Well, could you please **_REVIEW_** anyway? Please? I promise I won't give you any _Gigli _DVDs


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Yay! _Veronica Mars_, which is not mine and never will be, is coming back! Granted it's not for 20 days, but I've waiting since the season finale so yay! Ok, not really a disclaimer, but yay!

So, I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, and a hugethanks to anyone who **_REVIEWED!_** In addition to saving yourselvs from many _Gigly_ DVDs, you've also made my little heart really happy. And thanks to **_wildhorses's_** who beta reads my story, though I have a new one and I don't think she'll have time to do both, so consider this a **call for help for a new beta reader**? Please? Pretty please?

Anyways, I'll be posting the next couple of chapters pretty much at the same time because they're both short and sort of fillers, I still hope you enjoy them though!

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"Logan!" Trina cried hysterically as she saw him approaching. She pressed her lips together and wrapped her arms around him, crying hysterically.

He rolled his eyes but patted her back nonetheless, "You heard?"

"Only a little on the radio," she said between one wheezing breath and another, "they're not saying much, just that he… and the sheriff won't tell me anything. What happened?"

"I don't know any more than you," he lied. God knows how she'd use any information he gave her.

Trina collapsed into his arms again, "Oh God, did he really kill Lilly Kane?" she asked tearfully, "Why would he do that?"

"She was gonna expose him," Logan answered wearily, "They were having an affair."

Suddenly Trina seemed interested, "What? They were having sex? How come?"

He rolled his eyes; of course those were crocodile tears. She was a master at turning them on and off at the drop of a hat. "I don't know anything else. How is he?"

Trina sighed with annoyance, "He did a whole number on himself. Actually I don't know what the hell happened. He has lots of internal damage but the doctor said he'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Is he conscious?"

"Not right now," she answered, "the doctor said he'll wake up in a few hours when the sedatives wear off."

Logan rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me, 12 hours right?"

Trina shook her head, "No, more like 20," she answered with a frown.

Logan nodded and gave her a half smile, "Well, you hang in there then, I'm just gonna…" he motioned towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?" she asked angrily, "aren't you gonna stay and wait for him to wake up?"

He stopped, pretending to be thinking hard, "Um… no. I don't think I will."

After ten minutes, the nurse finally let him into Veronica's room again. He was suddenly feeling very, very weak. But not even his rebelling legs could stop him from seeing her.

He was once again greeted by the sight of Veronica lying peacefully on the hospital bed. If it weren't for the ugly hospital gown, the bruise under her eye, the now stitched cut on her forehead and the IV bag next to her, you wouldn't know something was even wrong. Okay, so with all _that_ around her, you could really tell something was wrong. But it was still nice to pretend everything was just peachy.

He didn't know how much time had passed as he sat with her, pressing her hand to his lips, until Duncan came bursting through the door. A quick glance at the clock over the hospital bed told him it had been 30 minutes. _Whew, time flies when you want to **DIE**_.

"So?" Duncan almost whispered, looking exhausted.

"12 hours," Logan answered in the same tone. "So, what happened with your parents?"

Duncan rolled his eyes, "They're staying in jail until some judge posts the bail, which won't happen until tomorrow."

"This is fucked up, man," Logan murmured.

Duncan eyed him closely. "Hey, man, maybe you should go home, get some sleep…"

"What about you?"

"Definitely," Duncan said, smiling slightly, "but I can't go if you're staying. Doesn't seem right."

Logan managed to laugh somehow, "Don't really feel like going home, I bet the press is already waiting there." Not to mention the fact that he would happily burn it to the ground at this point.

"No problem," Duncan said, "you can crash at my place. The house's gonna be empty anyway."

-----------------------------

When Lianne entered the hospital three hours later, she was one step away from a nervous breakdown. She hade woken up barely twenty minutes ago from an alcohol induced nap to find about fifteen messages on the machine from a boy named Wallace. The messages informed her that she should turn on the radio and head for the hospital immediately after that. The radio said that Aaron Echolls had tried to murder her daughter, burn her alive, no less. To top it off, there were also reports that he had also tried to kill Keith while he was at it, or at least hurt him as much as possible.

At the sight of her sleeping daughter, she started to cry, letting out all of her frustrations and worries in choked sobs.

Because she was angry with Keith for letting this happen, she had barely checked in on him. The doctor told her he was alright and that was enough information for her. She went back to the waiting room and saw a black boy sitting there with a coffee. At the sight of her, he got up nervously.

"Miss Mars," he murmured, "hey."

Lianne rubbed her temples and he offered her his untouched coffee, "Are you Wallace?" she asked, "Thank you for calling me."

"Sure," Wallace said and sat back, "did you go to see Keith?" he asked carefully, for some reason.

Lianne vaguely remembered that Veronica told her something about a kid named Wallace being her best friend. She assumed he knew everything about her, even though she knew nothing about him. "No. I just talked to his doctor."

There was an awkward silence between them and then Wallace started easing back into his comfortable doze, which he was planning on staying in for the next 12 hours. Or at least until one of the people who were sure to show up eventually got there.

But Lianne surprised him by asking, "How long have you known Veronica?"

Wallace was a little taken aback by the question, "Um, since September." He was a little hurt that Veronica hadn't told her mother anything about him.

But his hurt dissolved after her next question, "And… how has she been? I mean, how did she get here?"

Wallace took a deep breath, preparing himself for a long tale, a tale in which he didn't know all of the details either. Heh, on the bright side, apparently Veronica didn't tell her mother much of anything about anything, so he had no reason to be offended.

-------------------------

Usual review plea is in the next chapter...


	9. Chapter 9

Continuation of the previous chapter. Hope you enjoy!

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When Duncan and Logan came back to Veronica's room, rested, showered and changed, ten hours later, Keith, Lianne, Wallace and Weevil, were already there, sitting by the bed and napping.

Duncan and Logan spotted Lianne and exchanged surprised looks. _Where the hell did she come from?_ Was probably what was going on in their heads. But after everything that happened in the last few days, what did that really matter? They quietly took a seat on the other side of the room, careful not to wake anyone.

But of course, Sheriff Lamb had to ruin everything by stomping into the room with his giant boots a few minutes later. Keith woke up with a grunt and the other three settled with rolling their eyes and glaring at him.

"_Good_ morning, everyone, sleep well?" he asked perkily.

"I think I was just having the weirdest dream," Keith said, "it was about this sheriff who kept going after the wrong guy time after time after time."

Logan couldn't help himself, "you mean one of those self-reflecting dreams?"

Keith grinned as if saying that's-funny-don't-fuck-with-me before turning back to Lamb, "well, if you've come to show your admiration and regret to Veronica, maybe you should come back when she can actually rub your nose in it," he said, pointing at his oblivious daughter.

Sheriff Lamb looked at Veronica for the first time and maybe there actually was a little admiration in his eyes, "that kid of yours," he said, "she's pretty hard boiled, huh?"

Keith looked just as disgusted this time as he did the last time Sheriff Lamb said that. Only this time, the rest of the room mirrored that expression.

"Really," he continued, "from what I've seen in her computer, she suspected about half the town at some point… seriously, there are about a dozen suspect files in here," he handed Keith Veronica's computer back and gave him a sleazing smirk just to make it sure he knew that he only looked at it for the hell of invading her privacy. "And that trick with the tapes, that _was_ pretty smart."

A light bulb lit up in Duncan's brain, "the tapes! You found them?"

Lamb rolled his eyes, "wow, the rumors about the Kane's brains were all true. Who knew?"

"Get to the point," Logan barked, "where were they?"

"One in the drier, one in some plant and one in Aaron's Echolls' pocket… took us forever to find them."

The boys' collective chests all swallowed with pride. "So, what do you want?" Weevil barked.

Lamb shrugged, "I just came to see if the little smarter-than-me princess is awake yet," he said with not a little sincerity, "I still need to question her about what happened." He sighed, "heh, not yet huh? Man, she really doesn't look good."

They sent him dirty looks.

"Anyway, I'll go question Mr. Hamlin, you know, the guy who collided with Echolls' fist?"

A noisy sigh was heard in the room as he finally left and they all turned back to Veronica, expecting, for some reason, to see her awake, shaking her head and rolling her eyes with sympathy, but she was still sleeping, unaware of anything.

They were just settling back in when a nurse came into the room. She yelped with surprise, "wow, it sure filled up in here since the last check in," she murmured to herself. "Hum, I'm sorry, only two people are allowed in the room at once."

The youngsters exchanged looks and left the hospital room, leaving the two parents to watch over their daughter. They were gonna stay close by anyway, so they just settled into a few chairs outside the room and waited for the uncomfortable silence that was inevitably going to ensue.

Fortunately, ten seconds after they left, they heard Lianne angrily asking Keith: "so, you wanna tell me how this happened?"

--------------------

"Hey, I'm Veronica Mars and I'm here today to ask anyone who's reading this to **_REVIEW_** this nice little story. Yeah, I know, normally I wouldn't be too happy about someone writing into my personal life, inventing tragic tales about me or just trying to kill me, usually only Rob Thomas is allowed to do that. But in this case, I found that I like this story, even though I come off as a pretty passive character in it, plus, it has LoVe in it, which I also like, and also the crazy author has me and the entire cast locked in the basemeant. Yup, she managed to grab us from TV land, build herself a basemeant and put us in it... she says that if I don't get people to **_REVIEW_** she'll kill me off, or worse, make this a Duncan-Veronica fic! Please! I can't let that happen! Have you seen Logan? Have you? Please **_REVIEW_** before she comes back! Help!"


	10. Chapter 10

Hey Guys! Isn't life a peach? No? Yeah, I didn't think so... but hey, cheer up! Season 2 is approaching finally! Yay! I practically have to stop myself from flooding you with my thoughts and concerns for the sake ofeveryone who's spoiler-free (I mean, Teaser-free, because I don't read spoilers either...). 7 days guys!

Secondly, a humangus thanks to everyone who took the time to **review** this story. Since you asked so nicely and all, this will NOT be a Duncan\Veronica fic, though in the usual review plea in the end (this time it's Logan's turn) I've come up with a fresh threat for y'all (insert eeeeevil laugh - mua ha ha!).

Thanks as always to **wildhorses's **who beta reads my story but my massege in a bottle from last week continues - I still need a new beta reader for another story I'm dyingto post - **can anyone please, please, please be my beta-reader? I'll love you forever. And if Iever getrich you will be the first ones to get a house with a pool. Promise :-)**

So, as always, hope you like this chapter.

Lily,

-----------------------

"So, you wanna tell me how this happened?"

Keith shrugged, "What do you mean?"

Lianne wanted to choke him, seriously, "I mean, how did a situation arise where my daughter makes it a habit to stroll around and chase after murderers?"

Keith looked at the floor. She had a valid point there, he wasn't to proud of himself on that subject either, but it was widely known that the best defense was offense, so he shot back with, "_Your_ daughter? Where the hell have you been all this time? At least I _tried _to be there for her. You have no idea how hard this year has been."

"What?" she asked disbelievingly, "are you saying this is my fault? _You _were the one who started all this, with your stupid conspiracy crap!"

He rolled his eyes, "All I'm saying is that _maybe_ you shouldn't be blaming me when you've been absent for the past year!"

-------------------------

"That's a good point, actually," Logan said, not really caring about the Mars's right to have some privacy, "where _did_ she come from, anyway?"

"Rehab. Veronica put her there a few weeks ago, she just came back," Wallace answered shortly, thinking about how absurd it was that the four of them were sitting together in a hospital, eavesdropping on a family argument, and how absurd the circumstances were which led them to said situation.

Logan chuckled to himself and leaned back in his seat. He was thinking about how he had been sort of dating Veronica for the past month or so and he still didn't have any knowledge about all of the cases she was working on. Not to mention little things like her _life_.

"Is he here?" Weevil asked, emphasizing the 'he'. They all knew who 'he' was and collectively shuddered as their thoughts rested on what he had done to Veronica and Lily.

Logan nodded, "Two floors bellow, last time I checked."

"What's that?" Wallace asked, "Emergency?"

Logan shook his head, "Recovery."

_"I left to protect her!"_ they heard Lianne yell, "For her own good! The Kane's were blackmailing me!"

Duncan lowered his eyes while the other stared at him.

"Do you think they know we can hear every word they're saying?" Weevil asked no one in particularly.

Logan shrugged, "They probably thought we'd have the decency to go away."

They exchanged looks, asking each other if they should maybe _actually_ leave and agreed without words that they were curious and screw it all; they would stay. It wasn't like Veronica ever respected anyone's privacy.

-------------------------

Keith got up and rolled his eyes, "Oh please, with what?"

Lianne went silent for a few moments before finally breathing out: "They took photos of Veronica with a bull's-eye drawn over her face, what was I supposed to do?"

"Oh, I thought maybe they threatened to tell Veronica about how you're such a drunken whore, you're not even sure who her father is!" Keith screamed harshly, unable to contain himself. "But if you say they threatened her with murder, sure that makes sense. Why wouldn't they just go around killing high-school girls?"

-------------------------

"Ok," Wallace said nervously, tensing up, as the words got louder and nastier, "maybe we should just have the decency to clear out."

Logan and Weevil rolled their eyes. They knew that if one of them expressed feelings of guilt for eavesdropping, they'd all have to become righteous and leave too.

"Fine," Logan murmured, getting up, "whatever."

Weevil also got up, "Man, that's sheriff Mars," he muttered with awe, "I didn't even know he knew words like that."

The three took a few steps before noticing that Duncan had remained permanently rooted in his seat.

"Uh, Duncan?" Logan called cautiously, "Do you want to get some coffee?"

Duncan glanced at him and looked at his hands, "You guys go; they're talking about my parents."

They nodded and left him there alone.

-------------------------

"What did you just call me?" Lianne snarled, "How dare you!"

Keith shook his head, "Oh no, I have every right to be pissed at you Lianne! You were only with me because he got married to someone else! I'm the cheated husband, so don't get all high and mighty with me!"

"Please!" she snapped, "It was once, we were drunk, he was the love of my life!" she took a deep breath, "But I love Veronica more, and I wouldn't have her thinking ill of me."

"Oh, because she hadn't done that already after you left? Come on, Lianne, you just left because you couldn't take the heat."

"That's not true!" she yelled, getting up and almost knocking over the chair, "I wanted to take her with me, but she wouldn't leave!"

"Of course," he said, smirking cruelly at her, "who are you kidding here? I know the Kane's weren't blackmailing you – you were blackmailing them! You told Celeste that if she didn't stop bothering Veronica you'd have a paternity test done and sue her for millions!"

-------------------------

Duncan frowned, they weren't making much sense anymore, but that was understandable, no one could be levelheaded in that sort of situation. And anyway, all he wanted was to get information about everything his parents did to cover up for him allegedly murdering Lily. Apparently, blackmailing the sheriff's wife with threats to sniper her daughter by drawing targets over her head (and he believed those pictures existed) was one of the things they did. He should have felt proud that his parents were willing to do something like that for him, but instead, he just felt disgusted.

-------------------------

Keith wasn't finished yet, "Oh, and by the way, it didn't work. Veronica found out that Jake might be her father, she knows everything."

Lianne nodded, "I know, she told me."

They looked down at their daughter, who was sleeping through their argument without any idea about what was going on, and suddenly the thoughts of screaming at each other over her unconscious, battered body seemed wrong.

"How did this happen, Keith?" Lianne repeated the question, voice breaking, trying to fight back tears, "Why is my baby lying here unconscious after almost being burned alive?"

Keith stroked his daughter's forehead, "You know Veronica, and there's no stopping her."

She smiled affectionately, "She doesn't deserve any of this."

"I took the test, Lianne," Keith said, wanting to get it off of his chest more than anything.

-------------------------

Outside, Duncan pressed his ear to the door and felt himself tense up. He knew what the result was, Veronica had told him, but he wanted to hear it from the man himself, because, he had to admit it to himself, he and Veronica had the exact same green eyes. Granted, so did Lianne and Jake, so technically she could have received them from either one (oh, God, maybe _Lianne and Jake_ were related?). Anyway, it still creped him out and if he wanted to start pursuing Veronica again, he had to know for sure.

-------------------------

"Yeah, yeah, this is Logan speaking. Jeez ladies, stop ripping my shirt off! Ouch! Why are you stealing pieces of my hair? What would you possibly do with it? (beat) A clone? You wanna make a me-clone? Are you people sick?"

"Oh, right, the story thing. Look, I know we're all stuck in the basemeant and Lily (the author, not _that_ Lilly) keeps trying to merry me, but I just have to be honesthere - I think this story sucks beyond the telling! Yeah, you heard me, I HATE IT! I mean, come on! Chapter 10 and me and Veronica haven't even shared _one_ little kiss? Please! In other stories we'd totally be having sex by now! Hello? All I do hereis get drunk and beaten! And wait in hospital waiting rooms! I'm Logan Echolls, alright? I think I deserve a little hot, M-rated sex, don't you think?"

"Oh right, I tend to get carried away. The real reason Lily let me have the stage is so that you guys **_REVIEW_** her story. I know it sucks and everything, but please **_REVIEW_** it, because otherwise she says she'll make this a Logan\Wallace or a Logan\Meg fic. And _nobody_ wants that, right? Well all want to see LoVe reunited, right? I know I do. So please **_REVIEW_** this piece of shi... shining literature!"

"And finally, here's Logan Echolls with todays inspirational note: **_REVIEW_** today, live longer tomorrow. Adios!"


	11. Chapter 11

A.N: Hello you happy people who have Season 2... sniff, I need to wait until the weekend, at least. Sniff...

Anyways, thanks so much for the lovely **_REVIEWS_**, they truly make me happy! And I'm glad you like that character's rants at the end. I personally really enjoy writing them, it's a really fun way bring a little humor to the story. This week is Duncan, tell me if you like it. If not, I can just make it only Logan and Veronica's space, though I think a lot of character would have something to say. Your choice, my darlings.

So, anyway, thanks as always to **wildhorses's **for betaing my story. I'm forever grateful. And thanks to**moirariordan, SpikesSpecialFriend and Josilicious** for offering to be my beta-readers. You guys are really sweet! Unfortunatley, I've backed off that story I was writing. At leastfor now, writer's block and all. But thanks anyway, I love you? blushes

Enjoy the chapter! This one is one of my favorites. And by the way, there's a little shout-out somewhere in there for **Sailor Grape** and something she wrote on her review. Have fun!

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"You did?" Lianne asked, agitated, "And?"

Keith sighed and looked at Veronica, "It's negative."

"Really?" she asked miserably, "Are you sure?"

Keith nodded, "There's no doubt. I'm not Veronica's biological father."

She sniffled and sat down, still holding Veronica's bandaged hand, "And, does she know?"

"I told her it was positive," he admitted.

Lianne sighed, "More lies, Keith? Are you sure that's wise?"

He shrugged shamefully, "No. But I just couldn't tell her. I couldn't have her look at me differently," Lianne tried to say something but he interrupted, "I know she wouldn't have minded but it would always be there between us. I just couldn't stand that."

------------------------

Outside, Duncan leaned heavily against the wall, tears springing out of his eyes as he tried his best to silence the sobs racking his body. He had known the knowledge that Veronica wasn't his sister was too good to be true. He covered his eyes with his hands and slumped down to a sitting position, much like he had when Veronica had run away from his sick, love confession a week ago.

"Hey, man, are you ok?" Logan asked, crouching down beside Duncan. He had told the other two idiots, who seemed kind of friendly towards each other, surprisingly, that he was going to the bathroom.

Duncan lifted his head in surprise; he had never even heard Logan approach him. He nodded weekly and murmured a hoarse, "Yeah."

Logan shook his head, "Man, is it that bad?"

Duncan was about to reply, a lie ready on his lips, but was distracted by the still ongoing conversation between Veronica's parents.

-------------------------

Lianne nodded, "I understand… but what if she wants to date Duncan again, what would you say?"

"I hadn't even thought of that. I just assumed that with all the baggage between them, they'd just let it be. Besides, after all of this, I think maybe we should move out of Neptune, find a place where she can heal and put the past behind her."

Lianne perked up at the mention of leaving. "Leave? And go where?"

He shrugged again, "I don't know. We'll find a new town, I don't know where, maybe not even in California. Start a new life."

"When?"

"I was thinking about after the trial, but maybe even as soon as when she gets out of the hospital. I'll start making arrangements to stop renting the apartment and sell the business."

Lianne looked at Veronica, and then at the door towards the hallway, where she assumed Veronica's friends _weren't_ sitting and shook her head, "She wouldn't like it."

Keith nodded, "I know, but she'll be going to college next year anyway, and I just can't see how she can have a healthy life here. Too much has happened. This will be the best thing for her."

Lianne nodded and couldn't help admiring her husband for thinking so far ahead when all she wanted to do was just shake her daughter until she woke up and then hold onto her forever.

"Besides," he continued, "I want to get her away from the Kane's and from kids like Logan and Weevil… she'll just have to accept that."

-----------------------

Outside, Logan shook his head and let out a sound that was something between a bitter chuckle and a huff. Parents were so stupid, were they really supposed to go through the next year apart from each other? It sounded like the dumbest thing ever suggested. And if Keith thought Veronica would just sit back and accept that situation, he obviously hadn't learned anything from the past year's events.

Duncan, however, just looked pensive. Logan shot him a wondering look as if asking 'aren't you supposed to be distressed by this too?' and contemplated barging into the room and shielding Veronica with his body.

But that would probably be more affective the day they actually tried to take her, that day he'd hold onto her and snap at everyone who tried to take her away from him. For now, all he could do was drag Duncan away to the cafeteria. On the way, they passed the nurse's station where all the nurses and the orderlies were crouched together, watching _Days of Our Lives._

_Hmm, so that's why they didn't care about all the screaming,_ Logan mused. Did that mean he'll just have to wait unti _Young & Restless _is on in order to murder his father without interruptions?

--------------------------

"What about you, Keith?" Lianne asked, a moment later, already sobering up, which wasn't very good, "That Willis kid told me you were dating his mother… are you just gonna leave her?"

Keith chuckled, "Well, I already left her, as a matter of fact, when you came back. I thought we could work things out for Veronica's sake, but I can see we're still just as fake as always."

She nodded, "Divorce, then? We should have done it years ago."

They both felt as if a piece of them were being ripped out. And even though that piece was sometimes horrible, it still felt painful to remove it.

"I'm just hoping," Keith murmured weakly, "that you'll move to wherever we do, rebuild the relationship with your daughter."

"Of course I will," she nodded, trying really hard to feel convinced that it would actually happen, "I'll do whatever it takes."

Keith eyed her skeptically, "It's good thing you sobered up, though. And his name's Wallace, by the way."

"Yeah."

Keith checked his watch and whispered: "She's supposed to wake up any minute now."

----------------------

When she woke up, Veronica found herself lying on an air mattress that was floating on a lake filled with water lilies. She lazily looked around and almost doubled over and fell into the water when she saw Lilly lying on a similar mattress next to her, wearing the same pink bikini she was wearing.

Surprise, however, was soon replaced with peaceful contentment, "Hey," she said softly.

Lilly opened her eyes and turned to look at her, "Hey. I was beginning to think you were never gonna wake up. You've been lying like that for hours."

Veronica lay back and looked at the clear sky above her, "Well, I've been through quite a lot today, you know," she glanced at Lilly, "Isn't it better? Like this"

"So much better," Lilly purred back.

"This is how it's supposed to be," Veronica declared silently.

"Totally," Lilly agreed.

Veronica turned back to the sky and closed her eyes, for once not afraid that when she opened them, this would all be gone, "This is how it's gonna be, from now on, right?" Lilly suddenly looked a little sad so Veronica, getting a little scared, called to her.

Lilly looked at her and smiled sadly, "You know how things are gonna be now, don't you? You have to know."

Veronica's smile faded, "Just like this, just like this," she said, pleading, hoping that if she could convince herself this was real, it would be.

Lilly tilted her head slightly, "Don't forget about me Veronica," she asked softly.

Veronica felt something swell in the back of her throat, it made it hard for her to turn to Lilly and whisper: "I could never."

----------------------

"Hey, it's Duncan this time. Oh jeez, sorry you're disappointed, but you know, there _are_ other guys in this series besides Logan. Like me! And, as a matter of fact, _I'm _not doing so hot at the moment, thank you very much. My sistergirlfriend is in a coma! And worse, into another guy! Who's my best friend! And to top that, 95 of the viewers are rooting for them!

"Hello? What am I, a goat? Don't I deserve some attention? Logan's not even that nice! Well, not usually that nice! And now I'm locked in the basemeant with the entire cast, and it sucks! This imaginary basemeant is really crowded and I have to tolerate Logan and Veronica always making out. So please, if you have any love for me whatsoever (or affection? Or tolerance?), **_REVIEW _**this dumbass story and help me get Meg back, at least.

"Oh, and Lily says that if you **_REVIEW_** she just might bring Veronica back, finally. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a pill or something, LoVe is at it again. Argh."

Logan & Veronica: "Lily said you might not **_REVIEW_** if only Duncan asks you to. That's kinda sad, he's really not that bad. We like him, anyway... Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to... _do, some... stuff._ Bye!"


	12. Chapter 12

Spoilers to 2x01 and 2x02 in the A.N (beware!)

Hey everyone! How've you been? And how is season 2 so far? Personally, I think it's great – except for that VD thing, of course. Only I'm forced to admit that… you know… they're… sortofcute and that Duncanissortofagoodboyfriend. What? I didn't say that! Shut up!

Anywho, thanks a bunch to all you wonderful guys who **_REVIEWED_**(!) and to **wildhorses's** for revising this story (are you tired of reading already? Well, you can just skip ahead, I won't be offended… ). I promise Veronica will wake up really, really soon (no, I'm not killing her off, obviously, I just don't want you guys to get angry…). Patience is a virtue – I learned that from _The Mummy_!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to **_REVIEW_** (it's

-------------------------

"Hum," Wallace wondered aloud, "wasn't Veronica supposed to wake up like an hour ago?"

The others shrugged and Logan poked his head into the room. He was greeted with the sight of the two Mars parents, sitting agitatedly by their daughter's bed, looking terrified. He momentarily forgot the hatred towards them that filled his guts.

"Should I go call the doctor?" he asked carefully.

They both raised their bloodshot eyes at him and nodded weakly.

When the doctor came, ten minutes later, he gravely looked over Veronica's chart and ordered them all out in order to perform a couple of checks on her.

They were all worried already, but when he came back, it worsened. The doctor started to give a long explanation about something going wrong but they weren't even trying to listen.

"When will she wake up?" Logan asked, forever disrespectful and impatient.

The doctor shot him an annoyed glance and answered, "We can't tell, it could be a couple of minutes, it could be a couple of days, or even longer."

The room seemed to cloud with despair as he said that. It was a line they had all seen countless times in movies and though the hero always woke up in the end, it was hard to remember that now.

"Are you saying… she's in a coma?" Duncan whispered.

"In a manner of speaking, but there are excellent chances of her waking up, so I wouldn't worry."

Yeah, obviously a room full of over-protective, worried as hell people would just relax because the nice doctor told them that the person they loved, maybe the most, would _probably_ wake up. Uh-huh.

"Heh, what are we doing here?" Lilly asked, amused.

She and Veronica were sitting _on_ the 09ers launch table, resting their legs against the bench, dressed in casual school wear. One would think it was a normal school day, except that the entire cast of _Buffy _seemed to be discussing something at a far table and the _South Park_ kids were running around in the snow (?) all around them.

Veronica shrugged at her own dreamland and took a sip from her coke.

"Oh, wait a minute," Lilly said with an impressed smile, "this isn't supposed to happen, you were supposed to wake up, you sly little girl."

"Well, jeez, I'm sorry I interrupted your raging afterlife," Veronica said sarcastically, "but I'm sure you can spare a few minutes for your best friend, right? I mean, you have forever to walk around on clouds and seduce all of our dead presidents."

Lilly choked on her Cherry juice, "EW!" she cried and slapped Veronica's thigh, "Why would I want to seduce the presidents when I have plenty of dead Hollywood hotties at my disposal?"

The girls laughed a good while at that. Lilly was so busy daydreaming about Elvis that she didn't even notice Veronica's darkening expression, "Why'd you do it, Lilly?" she asked softly. She knew she should be screaming at Lilly, accusing her for sleeping with her boyfriend's abusive dad – but she hadn't seen Lilly in such a long time and she wasn't going to waste any of this time fighting. Lilly might leave her if she did, and then she'd be completely alone in her own brain.

Lilly shrugged indifferently, "Please, have you seen him? Have you seen his _body_?"

"Ew, gross!" Veronica exclaimed, laughing again, "He's old! And Logan's dad! That's all kinds of wrong, Lily." _I shouldn't be laughing,_ the little Veronica in her brain scolded her; _this is serious! Stop acting like a two year old and get a grip!_

"So?" Lilly asked, "He's a movie star, Veronica. If Tom Cruise came onto you while you were dating his son, do you really think you would turn him down?"

Veronica considered that and came to the conclusion that she totally wouldn't turn Tom Cruise down. Only she might have the graciousness (_ahem_) to break up with his son _before_ indulging in wild, illegal sex with his dad.

"When did it start?" she asked wearily, giving up.

Lilly frowned, "Hum, I think it started about… two or three weeks before he killed me. We were all swimming in Logan's pool, remember? Anyway, I went into the kitchen to get a drink. Aaron was there, and I was wearing a bikini and I looked fabulous, so naturally he hit on me. Only he tried to make it sound as if he was just happy for Logan. Anyway, we had sex that night for the first time."

Veronica looked down sadly, "He always called you 'Logan's beautiful girlfriend'… even when you were only fifteen. I should've noticed there was something weird about him."

"Excuse me?" Lilly called, mock offended, "There's nothing _weird_ about wanting to have sex with me. On the contrary, if a guy doesn't want me, he's probably gay or… you know… _flaccid._"

"But at fifteen?" Veronica asked disbelievingly, trying not to giggle.

Lilly raised her chest, "Well, I don't know if you remember, but I filled up when I was thirteen. By the time I was fifteen, I was already totally hot."

Veronica sighed. Clearly, natural inhibitions like "he was you boyfriend's dad" or "she was minor, and your son's girlfriend, whom he _loved_" didn't apply in this case. They both wanted each other and they were both used to getting everything they ever wanted. Of course they weren't gonna let little things like decency, the law or family values stand in the way. Veronica thought she should probably argue and lecture Lilly, but then she thought, it was too late now, what's done is done, so why bother?

-------------------------------------

"Hello everyone, this is Keith. I know you were all expecting a more glamorous character like Weevil or Dick, but I asked Lily especially to talk this time. You see, this hasn't been a very good year for me – aside from being kicked off the sheriff department and the whole blah blah framing wrong man blah blah, I had to watch my daughter on TV making out with, my God, four guys! Four! What have I done to deserve this?

"And then, I come home, hoping to relax from watching my little girl having… hum… premarital sex (I broke three keys writing this…). I log on to and what do I see? Yup, that's right, more sex! And with detail! I swear, I'm never leaving this basement. There are too many sick people out there who are looking to taint my little girl! Not that this story s a lot better but at least here NOBODY GETS THEIR FILTHY HANDS ON MY DAUGHTER! So please, **_REVIEW_** and ask Lily to keep this up. Please, I want some rest. Maybe you can also sends lots of **_REVIEWS_** and request that Veronica will be moved to a convent IMMEDIATELY?"

Veronica and Logan: (whispering) "Oh please, don't you dare write anything about convents! It's bad enough what's happening on the show. But please **_REVIEW_** nevertheless…"


	13. Chapter 13

Hello Everyone! I know, I know, ages without an update. The funny thing is, it wasn't really because of me – you see, my sweet, lovable beta-reader, **wildhorses**, was busy. Thanks anyway, honey! Hum, anyhow, I actually have like three more chapters already written. And let me tell you, it's really weird to be posting _this_ particular chapter when I'm already deep in the LoVe scenes. So you see, moirariordan and MClarkie, the LoVe will come _eventually _(hee, now I'm just being mean…)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you liked my version of Lilly-Veronica closure, this time it's the whole gang's turn, hope you like that as well. Oh, and to tchele and everyone who were (maybe) wondering – the Southpark reference was actually a nod to the fact that Veronica's favorite movie was the Southpark movie (because I wrote chapter 12 ages before the premiere). I think Butters from 2x01 was also a nod to that same thing. So actually, me and the show are both nodding to the same thing.

Ok, enough with the babbling, on to the story. Enjoy!

--------------------------

They were in her hospital room now, and Veronica knew her time with Lilly was coming to its bitter end, finally. She knew Lilly wasn't the type of person to stick around for too long.

Still, she had to admit the scenery was a bit strange, even considering the South Park thing from a second ago (or was it a second? It felt like twenty minutes, or hours?). The room was washed in a disturbing green shade and Veronica tried hard to think where it had come from because neither she nor Lily had ever liked gray. She came to the conclusion that it was something she had seen once on TV or something like that.

She could see herself lying in a bed, bruised and asleep. Or maybe she was lying in bed, looking down on herself? It was hard to tell, and the angles kept shifting. Lilly took a seat on the bed next to her and looked warmly at Veronica's sleeping form.

Veronica sat down heavily beside herself and shook her head wearily. Duncan was sitting tensely behind her, and Logan was leaning on the bed next to Lilly. Neither seemed to acknowledge the girls' presence.

Lilly stretched her legs out and absently began to stroke Logan's hair. Veronica thought she'd like to do the same, but she couldn't bring herself to move. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Well, it's not like I asked to be killed, you know."

"No one asked for you to be killed, Lilly," Logan surprised them both.

Lilly waved her hand in front of his face but he jerked it away, "You can see us?" she asked incredulously, "Are you dead too?"

Logan chuckled, "No, just asleep, and obviously I can see you, since this is _my _dream and all."

"You wish," Duncan said from behind Veronica and brought his chair closer, "it figures that even in _my_ dreams you'd make everything all about you."

Logan smirked, "Dream about me often, do you?"

Duncan wrinkled his nose in disgust and Veronica couldn't help but giggle.

"Hey, no giggling! There's no shame in being secretly gay!" Logan said with mock sternness.

"Excuse me, but who's the real star of this TV show?" Lilly asked. "Have you considered maybe this is Veronica's dream, and you two are just guests?"

Veronica shrugged, "I would have thought you were the star of this gig, Lil. You're the one who brought us here."

Lilly laughed, "Oh no, Veronica, all _I_ did was die. You were the one who kept pushing, I had no problem with the truth staying hidden. What the hell do I care? I'm dead."

"But you said…" Veronica and Duncan started to protest, both remembering their dreams about Lilly, how the truth would eventually come out and how she was doomed to walk the earth until justice is served.

"Oh please, I was kidding, the only reason I came to you guys was because you were getting way too boring."

"Oh, really? Then why are you leaving now?" Veronica asked.

Lilly shrugged, "Well, I'd stay, but you guys are so clingy. Get over it already. I know I was awesome, but that won't bring me back, so quit wishing it would."

"_Awesome_," Logan repeated with a bitter chuckle.

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Yes, I slept with your Dad, what're you gonna do, break up with me?" she mocked.

Logan stared at her disbelievingly. Duncan and Veronica exchanged looks and rolled their eyes, why did they always have to witness the love spats between Logan and Lilly? And shouldn't that have stopped by now, what with Lilly being dead and all?

Veronica almost slapped herself, trying desperately to remember that none of this was real. There was something about this conversation that seemed ancient. Familiar, comfortable, missed, but totally ancient. She felt like any moment she'd start playing absently with her long curls and think about how stupid her two friends were and were they going to fight like this even when they were both old and possibly married to each other?

Logan sighed, giving up. Lilly flashed Veronica a triumphant smile.

"I feel a group hug approaching," Duncan said warily.

Lilly laughed, "Oh Duncan, you were always the most screwed up of us all."

"Hey!" Logan protested, "I have issues!"

Lilly turned to him, "Oh yeah, 'my father's an abusive bastard, and my dead girlfriend slept with him! And my new girlfriend accused me for killing my other girlfriend and nobody loves me!'" she mocked him with the most hilarious cry-baby voice.

Logan puffed out his chest, "You forgot my mother dying."

Lilly rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you're troubled."

"Way more than Duncan, all he has is some strange epilepsy thing and bad parents," Logan claimed, sounding very much like a cry baby himself.

Veronica couldn't stop laughing at this whole exchange. She wondered how life would be when this was over. She wondered what she'd been doing for the past year without this.

"Oh come on," Lilly cried, "dude's in love with his freaking sister! That's totally more screwed up."

Veronica wondered if she maybe had a few superpowers, because she somehow managed to make everyone ignore what Lilly just said by thinking things like "_Oh God, please pretend you didn't hear that."_ really hard. Maybe this really was her dream after all.

"Anyways, you be bad now, alright?" Lilly asked in a rushed tone, like she knew she was running out of time, "Do something wild once in a while, for me? Even when you're wrinkled and you have bad backs… once a year, do something interesting. Preferably something I can laugh about from upstairs."

It was unlike Lilly to get all semi-deep like this, but it seemed to fit the situation.

"Fine," Logan spat, "whatever you say."

Duncan nodded.

Veronica smiled at her best friend and already knew they were probably going to break that promise and become middle-class and boring and forget her eventually. "Sure," she said, nevertheless, "I promi…"

And just like that, it was all black.

_It's over._

_It's really over._

She wanted to open her eyes, or get up, or scream – _anything_. But something was pulling her down and she couldn't move.

_Wake up, Veronica. Come on, the alarm clock's ringing, you're hungry, you're thirsty and most importantly – YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR FREAKIN' LIFE, LIKE NOW!_

---------------------------

Her eyes snapped open.

The first thought that went through Veronica's head was _damnit_. She was pretty sure that the overwhelming, consuming emptiness that seemed to fill every little void in her body would never completely wash away, no matter what she did.

Well, being wrapped in her parents' asphyxiating hug(s) certainly helped a little. Only a little bit, but still. They stayed like that for about five whole minutes before finally letting her get some greatly appreciated air.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" Lianne asked desperately.

"How are you feeling?" Keith followed.

Veronica felt a little uncomfortable, lying like that under both their inquisitive eyes. She tried to say something like 'um… okay' but her throat felt incredibly dry and sore, like she hadn't used it in centuries. She tried to clear it, but it was kind of painful, so she settled with nodding reassuringly.

Keith, bless him, got the message and handed her a glass of water. She took a few thirsty sips, cleared her throat again, and only then managed to blurt out: "How long was I out?"

Keith and Lianne exchanged glances, probably trying to remind each other that the answer to that question wasn't '_decades_', which was how they felt, but actually "24 hours or so," as Keith informed his little girl.

"Wow," Veronica breathed, "what happened?"

"Well, it's a bit of a madhouse out there," Keith admitted, "reporters all over town, everyone's looking for you and Aaron… and Logan," he added as an afterthought.

"And where are they?" she asked weakly.

Lianne stroked her head, "Aaron's been moved to a top-secret jail-hospital thing."

Veronica had enough presence of mind to think her parents were trying to distract her from Logan, which either meant that they didn't approve of her concern, or they didn't want to give her some bad news in her fragile state. She thought that if the Gods knew what's best for them, they'd make the answer A.

"And Logan?" she asked pointedly.

They did the annoying exchange-worried-looks again and Veronica felt like she might just start biting her sheets in frustration.

After about three hours (okay, _fine_, 15 seconds) her father finally murmured: "Outside, waiting."

Veronica only had time to breath a sigh of relief at the apparent liveliness of Logan when Wallace carefully poked his head in the room, "Hey, I just heard voices… Oh!" he called happily, "Veronica! You're awake!" he leaped inside and also crushed her in a hug before calling outside, "Hey guys! She's awake!"

Meg jumped into the room first followed by Duncan and Weevil, who made a hilarious attempt at trying to enter the room at the same time only to get stuck in the doorframe trying to push each other out of the way. Clearly, they had become great friends already.

After three more embraces, which might have caused permanent damage to Veronica's rib-cage, Keith and Lianne agreed to leave the younglings alone (but not before hugging her again, anyone sensing a _theme_ here?) to talk.

Veronica was truly happy to see them, she was, but where the hell was Logan? Was he trying to play hard to get or something? Because this was probably the worst day for that game, what with Veronica needing to see that everyone she loved was still alive and well.

Thankfully, Wallace brought the issue up, "Where the hell's Logan?" he asked, "Is he being coy?"

"Went to get coffee," Duncan blurted out, still gazing at Veronica as if she just woke up from a three-year coma.

"Man, boy's got timing issues," Wallace said, shaking his head.

Veronica released the breath she was holding, "So what really happened?" she asked, stealing glances at the door. She could almost see Logan, standing unsurely with a tray in his hand, scratching his head confusedly at the empty waiting room and wondering where everyone disappeared to.

"Lamb arrested Aaron," Duncan said, "and they took him somewhere, no one knows where."

"Yeah," Wallace added, "the fans raided the hospital like ten hours ago so the police had to put him underground."

Veronica smiled (and glanced at the door), "Sorry I missed it."

"Well, you miss a lot when you sleep through the day," Weevil teased her.

"What the hell happened?" Meg asked, "Sheriff Lamb was going to crazy waiting for you to wake up," at Veronica's quizzical look she added, "he's been waiting to get your statement since yesterday. Or so I hear, since no one bothered to call me. I had to call _them_."

"Well, we were a little caught up," Duncan smiled apologetically, "sorry."

Veronica grinned (and glanced at the door. _was Logan manufacturing the damn coffee with his own bare hands?_), "They found the tapes?"

"Yeah," Duncan assured her.

"And Lamb said something about you being pretty smart," Weevil added.

Veronica mock-gasped (and glanced at the door. _damnit, Logan, this ain't the time to stall_) "Goodness, he actually said the words 'Veronica Mars is pretty smart'?"

"More like 'that was a smart move'," Wallace admitted, "but you should take what you can ge…"

"VERONICA?" the greatly awaited shout from the door finally came.

---------------------

"Yes, yes, blah, blah, this is all very touching. I'm glad everyone is so _happy_ and _joyful _and everything. Now maybe they'll have the presence of mind to, maybe, I don't know – GIVE ME A STORYLINE?

"Oh, sorry. Wrong crowd. I didn't mean to go _loco _on you people, it's not like I'll get what I'm asking for here – this is a (finger quotes) 'LoVe story', after all. Here no one gives a second look to the poor Mexican boy (with the big old hog) who's getting LESS AND LESS SCREENTIME EVERYDAY!

"I mean, fine, don't include me in fanfics, whatever. I'm not bitter. I know you dumb-asses LoVe fans aren't getting what you want elsewhere… what with everything that's been going on the show (Lily said NO SPOILERS or she'll tape me to her imaginary flagpole with _transparent _scotchtape). Oh, yes, I called y'all a bunch of dumb-asses, what're you gonna do about it? Why, you ask? Do I _really_ have to dignify that with an answer? How about 'because Logan's a rich, white asshole who don't deserve half of what he gets'? Is that answer good enough? Ouch, Lily! Stop poking me!

"Um, where was I? Oh, right, why don't _I _get any fanfics of my own? Am I not _interesting _enough for you? Did I not just lose my best friend or something? And to Asshole Logan on top of everything? Damn, all I got in the stupid show so far were three minutes of playing that dude who drove Miss Dasey around! The hell?

"So, anyway, I volunteered to do this entries rant because, unlike my fellow ungrateful hostages, I kinda like this story – I appear in, like, a WHOLE chapter! Given it's with pretty-boy Echols, but still! And I get to kick his ass too! So please, for more 'Weevil whoops Logan good' scenes - **_REVIEW THIS STORY!_**"

(Lily: I know maybe it doesn't exactly sound like Weevil, but I can actually hear him say these things in my head, so… anyway, if you review, maybe I'll let Logan win a fight for once. Won't that be quaint?)


	14. Chapter 14

Hey everyone! LoVe is here! I'm gonna make this A/N extra long today so that you'd hate me a little more… of course I'm sure you'll just be all 'oh screw this' and just skip it, but I'm hoping you'll get back to it after you read the chapter…

First off, welcome back to my beta reader **wildhorses!** I was starting to get worried about her. secondly, thanks to y'all who still **_REVIEWS_** my stories, I love you!

Oh fine, I'll be done now. I just wanted to say that I hope you enjoy this chapter. I wanted to try and make a little different reunion thing-y… plus, that's kinda how I think they would react after everything… I hope you're not too angry about the rather tamed LoVe, but if you are, just know that the next 2 chapters are ALL about them. Seriously! Anyways, have fun?

--------------------

_Oh, finally._

By the time everyone (else) turned around to face the door, Logan had already teleported himself over to Veronica's bed and practically tackled her.

Lying there, wrapped in Logan's surprisingly strong (_ouch, ouch, ouch!_) arms, Veronica thought she had never quite been as happy before as she was right then. She could feel Logan's tears on her shoulder, dampening her hair. And of course, she began to cry as well.

The others exchanged looks, silently thinking 'Wasn't he supposed to bring some _coffee_ with him?'

Kidding, kidding! They all seemed really quite touched by the moment (yes, even Duncan), and they almost forgot that that was their queue to kind of sort of _LEAVE THE ROOM_.

"Coffee's outside," Logan's muffled, but pointed voice called out from somewhere in Veronica's shoulder.

The three jerked back to reality (especially Meg, who was already tilting her head to the side and tearing up) and left the room, looking kind of embarrassed.

Logan and Veronica remained exactly where they were for a very, very long time. They were silent, content just with each other's presence. And just when Veronica thought her shoulder might never be dry again, Logan pulled back from her, sighing heavily. The loss of contact strangely caused her even more pain than the bone-crushing embrace. She needed something to hold on to. Thankfully, Logan seemed as though he was afraid that if he stopped touching her, she might just slip away again, so he kept doing things like tucking her hair behind her ears or stroking her shoulders and hands.

They were going to have to say something to each other, _eventually_.

Any minute now.

No, really.

_No, really._

Veronica opened her mouth to say something (oh, _anything_) but Logan suddenly pressed his lips to hers in what might have been the most passionate kiss they had ever shared – _with anyone_. And given their past histories, that was saying a LOT.

Logan's mouth tasted like coffee and desperation. She never thought desperation had a taste, but there you have it. She wondered what she tasted like – relief? Loss? Emptiness?

She has just lost the essence of her life, after all. That ought to taste like _something_.

"Ronnie," Logan murmured desperately, inches from her mouth and it was so intoxicating, Veronica almost forgot she had an IV needle stuck in her arm and that tearing Logan's clothes off in the middle of the hospital room _might_ not be such a good idea.

Keith cleared his throat all of a sudden. Yeah, definitely not a good idea, Veronica concluded. Keith and Lianne were standing at the door, looking pretty displeased with the scene in front of them.

Logan jumped back as if a particularly powerful bolt of lighting had struck him. He wiped his eyes violently before turning around. "Mr. Mars," he said, voice cracking with every syllable.

"Logan," Keith greeted back, using his I-might-just-shoot-you-yet voice, only it sounded much more deadly than usual.

Lianne sent him a wondering look, shook her head and turned back to her daughter, "Are you feeling any better, sweetie?" Apparently ignoring the situation (or problem, depending on who you asked) at hand was what Lianne did best.

Veronica nodded tentatively.

Keith shifted from one foot to another before finally gathering the guts to ask hopefully, "Didn't you guys break up?"

Logan straightened determinedly, "Not technically, no."

Veronica, who up until then had been gaping at her father with pure horror, passed her gaze back to Logan and grinned slightly.

"What happened?" she asked, mostly to diffuse the tension in the room, "anything new?"

Lianne shook her head, "They're gonna set the date for the first court appearance next week."

"Yes, well, I don't think either of you should be dating anyone right now," Keith spat out. It took him a beat to realize that he had just uttered the words out loud and he sighed, angry with himself for not having an ounce of self control to save his life.

Veronica could see Logan's hands clenching into fists. She wished there was a mirror on the wall beside the door so that she could enjoy Logan's patented smirk. She really missed that obnoxious smirk, damnit.

"Well, your advice's greatly appreciated Sheriff Mars, I'm just sorry I don't have my notebook here," he sneered.

"It's good to see a crisis brings out the best in you," Keith retaliated.

"Alright!" Lianne snapped, "Logan," she said sternly, "say you're sorry."

Logan rolled his eyes all the way over to Alaska, "Sorry Mr. Mars," he cooed.

"Keith?"

Keith folded his arms like a five year old and pouted. His face softened, though, as he heard his daughter faint giggle.

"You look so stupid," she said weakly.

Keith let out something between a wry sigh and a chuckle, "I was going for 'determined'."

Veronica's only response was a lively laugh.

"Good," Lianne nodded. She felt a strange urge to say something, remind Keith and Veronica that she still existed and that she was part of the family too. "Now Keith," she said sternly, "say goodbye."

"Huh?" he asked incredulously.

Lianne smiled sadistically as she saw Veronica smiling at her. She wondered if they would always be competing for their daughter's attention from now on. Nevertheless, she answered, "Say goodbye and let your daughter have a moment with her _boyfriend._"

Keith winced at the term 'boyfriend', "Fine."

He turned to leave and Logan and Lianne exchanged one last conspiratorial grin before she followed him to the hall.

"Welcome to the family," Veronica murmured with a smile.

He shook his head and sat back next to her, taking a hold of her hand. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled reassuringly, "Okay, I think. I don't actually _know_ what my condition is…"

"You sprained your ankle," he said way too quickly, as if the information was imprinted in his mind and he was just dying to let it out, "Some burns, broken ribs, smoke inhalation, bruises… also, you had some internal bleeding when you were brought here, I guess it's fixed now. Oh, and…" he swallowed hard and gently touched the swollen, red bruise under her eye which was totally a punch mark.

_Plans for next week: ask Mr. Slimey Lawyer to arrange a visitation. Go see daddy. Let him shift and smile and lie. Tell him I (will never) forgive him. Move closer, let him open his arms. Stab him right in the heart. Tell him I'll see him in hell._

Veronica touched his cheek and shook her head, "It's not all from him. Most of it was my fault…"

"_None_ of this is your fault," Logan snapped quietly, not looking at her.

"No, seriously, I was the one who crashed myself into a telephone pole, or whatever it was," she insisted.

Logan bit his lower lip, "What were you thinking, leaving the Kane's houseby yourself?" he asked quietly, finally raising his eyes to her.

Veronica smiled, "I know, I should have listened to you when you said things were gonna get bad."

He chuckled humorlessly, "Yeah, who ever thought I'd turn out to be psychic…"

"Plus," she continued matter-of-factly, still playing with his fingers, "I was thinking about what you said to me yesterday on the beach. You know, when we were breaking up…"

He smiled coyly and she could swear he was even blushing slightly. "Hum, yeah, about that…"

But she didn't let him continue, "… and I thought to myself, 'wait a minute, I may be short and everything, but I can't fit in the oven!' so I had to find some other way to fry myself…"

Her remark was cold, and harsh and kind of painful. Logan thought he should probably wince or shudder or apologize like mad. But all he managed was a half-assed "So not funny," before breaking into an almost hysterical laugh and burying his head in her lap.

Veronica smiled, relief washing herand joined him.

It just occured to her, for the first time, that she may really _love_ this boy. It was never an option until now... they were just... well, something (having a fling? Hanging out?) and Veronica never associated the smile that always took over her face whenever she thought of Logan with _love._

Suddenly she found herself thinking that thank God she was hurt really bad, otherwise he might not have forgiven her. Ever.

_This is really bad._

--------------------

"Yeah, yeah, V's awake and we're all very happy about that. But what bugs me (Wallace, by the way, Basketball star and general Nice Guy) is that it wasn't what you guys are even happy about! I bet all you're thinking about is "awww, finally, some LoVe…" but hey! Come on! Veronica woke up a whole chapter ago!

"Dear lord, it's like talking to walls… I should know, I'm stuck in a basement here with a LoVe freak… though it works kinda nicely for me because it means she tortures me less (poor Logan, though, I'll tell ya, no man should even to suffer like that…) although now that I'm getting a little more attention on the show she suddenly remembered that she "always liked me too…" and then she smiled this totally scary smile, so I immediately volunteered to do this week's **_REVIEW_** plea. Because, you know, whoever writes gets off the hook until the next chapter. And after seeing poor Logan being forcedly married to that crazy writer (not crazy! Great! Awesome!)… no, thank you, you know? I'm having enough girl trouble these days…

"Where was I? Oh, yeah, anyway, what is it about LoVe that drives y'all so crazy? Duncan and Veronica are actually kinda nice together, you know! (Oh man, there's gonna be some pain over that, I think she's planning to tape me on the flagpole and write 'BLIND' or 'IDIOT' or 'LoVe HATER' or something on my chest…) but whatever, why are we talking about them? Let's talk about me a little!

"First of all, why oh why can't I have me a normal girlfriend? Seriously, yo, I'm being mistreated here! First I had a girlfriend who just evaporated after one week (she left a message on my cell telling me she wasn't getting anymore screentime, ever) and now I get a bitchy drug-addict? Why? What did I do? Remember last year when a cute girl called Nadine was all 'hi Wallace' at me? Where did she go?

"Oh, also, there's this little thing about my dad, but our time is up… anyways, this story is awesome! (Hey, gotta compensate for that LoVe thing…) and you should totally **_REVIEW!_** This was Wallace telling you to MAYBE WRITE SOME WALLACE FANFICS? WOULD IT KILL YOU? And also, bye!"

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fyreangel5: I'm glad you liked the chapter and the dream! Yay!I had to have some closure... and yes, Logan's timing couldn't be worse if it tried... good for you for guessing it was Weevil immediatly! I was afraid he wasn't written well enough... and I love Meg! Come back please?

moirariordan: Heehee, I love that word too, I've been looking for an excuse to write it somewhere... I'm sorry for all the evilness, I guess I was the only one who really enjoyed it... though let me add that if you were disappointed by this chapter, I'm already writing the big stuff, so don't hate me? Flauntering is just so muchfun...

Woody-Bennet: Well, you give them weird looks right back! And wow! I actually made someone Laugh Out Loud with my writing? I think the room is spinning...

Arianda: Sure, have all you want!

Shelly: Ouch! I do read the reviews! Why do you think I'd be begging for them if I didn't?

Underscored: Welcome! I hope you won't get off the boat...


	15. Chapter 15

Hey all! Sorry it took so long, but writing is hard! Yeah, I know you all are probably going "no! really? I had NO idea!" but it is! I know some good stories who died suddenly because of the writing disease. Let's take a moment to honor them. Wait. Wait. Wait. Okay, moment over! On with the fun!

I hope you'll like this chapter. I personally think it's cute,but I'm not very objective. It does have lots of LoVe.Thanks for everyone who reviews my story, I love you guys! And I'm glad you're liking this so far! I never thought I'd post a story of minehere, not to mentionlet itgo on for15+ chapters! And I never thought I'd get such amazing feedback from anyone… and… and… and… Does anyone have a virtual tissue please?

Okay, I'll stop giving you a headache now, enjoy!

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"What?" Veronica asked, "Come again?"

Keith sighed deeply; this was going much worse than he thought. He had expected his daughter to be mad and start yelling at him. That he could have handled, somehow. Instead, she chose to act as if he was completely incoherent.

"I was thinking about moving out of Neptune."

"Why?"

_Because this town is rotten and we've been through enough here and if that boy gets his hands on you I'm going to shoot him a new one. _"I want you to have some peace," he finally answered and looked to Lianne for support.

But she was just being irritably quiet, as usual. Her hands were crossed and she was giving him the most disapproving stare he had ever been unfortunate enough to receive. Even Veronica's stare seemed pale in comparison (for now, anyway, while she still thought he was out of his mind). Who would've thought the mother and boyfriend would band together against him?

"Peace?" Veronica repeated, "Did you take some of my pain killers?"

"Veronica…" he warned, trying to sound as stern as possible.

"Sorry," she spat, "I just don't understand what the hell you're talking about."

"Honey, the town is already flooded with journalists and the trials haven't even started yet."

"So?"

He exhaled deeply, "They'll come after you too, Veronica. It'll be just like last year, only much worse. I don't want you to be in the middle of all of that."

Veronica had to admit that he had a bit of a point. Maybe it really wasn't the healthiest thing for her to be involved in a massive murder _trial_. But it wasn't like being involved in a massive murder **_case_** was an example of a normal teenage life, so why start with normal now?

"Besides, I'd like you to see a therapist as well," Keith, blurted out quickly.

She almost shouted out a triumphant 'ha!' Now this was what she called a bargaining chip. "What? A shrink? No way! I'm fine!"

"Nobody can go through what you went through and be 'fine'," Lianne butted in, "we just want you to talk about it with someone, get some help."

"Mom, I'm not crazy!" Veronica cried.

"Veronica, please don't make this hard," Keith asked, "it'll be good for you."

"Hello Mars people, how's it going?" Logan greeted cheerfully from the door.

Veronica could feel that silly girly smile arise inside her. It always seemed to make an appearance when Logan was around. Coincidence? I think not. _Edge, Veronica, you're supposed to have an edge. Wipe that stupid smile off your face!_

"Logan," Keith said icily.

"_Keith_," Logan replied with his sunniest smile, knowing how much Keith hated it when he called him by his first name. "What's going on?" he asked while taking a seat next to his – wait for it, wait for it – _girlfriend._

Veronica tried her best to be as hysterical as possible without it looking too suspicious, "Dad decided we should move out of Neptune."

"What!" Logan exclaimed, both shocked and angered, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's not all," Veronica added, pouting, "he thinks I'm crazy, too!"

Logan shook his head gravely and wrapped a supporting arm around Veronica, "You're not crazy, _baby_," he soothed.

They were both trying very hard not to laugh.

Keith looked desperate, the last thing he wanted was to set his own daughter against him, "No, honey, I don't think you're crazy, this'll be good for you."

------------------

"_**What are you saying?" Veronica frowned.**_

_**Logan shrugged, "I… overheard your parents saying that it might be a good idea for you guys to move out of Neptune," he said. "I thought you'd maybe have one of those Veronica Mars ideas."**_

_**She smiled, "Give me some time."**_

"_**I'll give you anything you want," the words were out before he had time to reconsider. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut sometimes? Now Veronica was gonna freak out and find some way to bail on him. Again (and AGAIN!). He should really start learning from his past history, damnit.**_

_**But Veronica just bit her lower lip and blushed. No, seriously, she BLUSHED! Didn't last long, though. Two seconds later she was already shaking it off and explaining to him what they were gonna do.**_

------------------

"No, no way," Veronica said determinedly, crossing her arms, "I'm not going to see a therapist."

Keith sighed, "Yes. Yes, you are."

"Then I'm not moving out of Neptune," she said, "you choose."

Lianne grinned knowingly. Everything suddenly made perfect sense.

"I _choose_?" Keith repeated, "Since when do I have to _choose_?"

"Dad, it's not fair!" Veronica whined, "at least let me have something!"

Keith rolled his eyes, "No, Veronica, I'm moving, and you're coming with me… _and_ you're seeing a therapist. You'll thank me for this when you're older."

"Fine," Veronica said, raising her chin, "You can move, I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, you're gonna stay in this hospital forever?" Keith asked sarcastically, completely oblivious to the hole he just dug for himself. Lianne's smile widened and a muffled snigger escaped.

Veronica and Logan exchanged looks, "Well, _Keith_, with all _due_ respect…" Logan started to say.

"I'll be eighteen soon…" Veronica continued.

"…and I'm gonna be living _all alone_ in that big house of mine… no one will mind if Veronica comes to live with me… _…_" he finished with a wicked smile.

Keith turned completely pale.

"So," Veronica said viciously, completely losing the dramatic façade, "it's either therapy, or Logan and I move in together a lot sooner than expected."

Logan smirked and _slowly_ caressed Veronica's arm. And though there wasn't really anything obscene about the gesture, it was still filled with so much sexual energy that it practically screamed '_PREMARITAL SEX! DO NOT LEAVE US ALONE TOGETHER! SERIOUSLY, IT WON'T END WELL!'_ which was exactly what he was going for.

Keith almost stumbled, as if he knees weren't offering their usual support anymore. Even Lianne's grin faded a little.

_TKO, parents._

"Fine," Keith said at last, voice was a little ragged, "we'll stay here, but you're sure as hell going to therapy, young lady!"

"Ok!" Veronica chirped. Logan's touch was sending little, electrifying waves through her body and she really hoped her parents would leave. Like now!

Apparently, Veronica was sending 'get out, get out, GET OUT!' vibes that were strong enough to reach her parents because they nodded nervously and stumbled away, presumably to take some morphine and try to forget about what they had just witnessed.

Logan laughed, "Good work, Mars," he said appreciatively, "sometimes you scare me."

"You weren't too bad yourself," Veronica cooed. She raised her head a little and kissed him hello, "It was good that you told me what they were planning…"

"Mhmm," he answered while locking lips with her once again.

Logan shifted their bodies so that she was positioned under him without breaking the kiss or breaking any expensive medical equipment. After five days of visiting her in this hospital, he was really perfecting this swift body-shifting thing to an art. Still, he couldn't wait to do it in the comfort of his own bed. "Aw, Ronnie, when are you getting out?"

Veronica sighed, "I don't know. A few days, I hope."

"Yeah, so do I."

She leaned backwards and he took it as an opportunity to snuggle her neck. "I can't wait to take a bath and put on something really sexy."

"Maybe we can just skip that last part altogether?" Logan asked suggestively, raising his head to meet her eyes.

Veronica raised her eyebrows in a 'you-never-know' way and they resumed their kissing.

A nurse came in and forced them to move to a somewhat more formal position (which just meant snuggling in a more decent manner, to be honest). She glanced at Logan and huffed good naturedly, "Can't I ever walk in here and not find you two in the middle of a cheesy make out session?"

Logan chuckled, "What would you have us do, good nurse Betty?"

"I don't know. Why can't you ever just be watching TV?"

"Ooh, there's a Dawson's Creek re-run at the WB channel!" Veronica said with excitement (she was kidding, I hope), "Joey's finally going to choose between Dawson and Pacey!"

"Very funny," Nurse Betty scoffed, as Logan made a hilarious thrilled-girly-girl face and the couple gasped at each other, "I was talking about maybe something a little more educational. There's a program about the industrial revolution on the history channel, why don't you watch that?" she suggested before leaving the room.

Veronica laughed, "That nurse is whacked."

"Not as much as _you_ are, Sugapuss."

She covered her eyes, "God, aren't you ever gonna let that go? What was I supposed to do?"

Logan mocked deep concentration, "Hmm, how about go to the British dude and just ask 'say, is there a room here that costs 1,200 dollars a night?'"

"What fun would that be? And besides, wouldn't that have been a slight bit suspicious?" she asked, nibbling at Logan's neck playfully.

"Oh, stop pretending it wasn't just about being engaged to me."

"Pfft. Give me a break…" she started to protest but he shut her up with one of his toe-curling kisses.

They'd been "dating" for only few weeks, but had already needed to use that method for shutting each other up more times than they'd like to admit. It was one of the few flaws in Logan and Veronica's relationship. And maybe they should be a little worried, but not right now.

They could just kiss it away anyhow.

Wallace walked into the room just then, eyes shut. "I'm here, please stop whatever it is you're doing!" he pleaded.

"Hey!" Veronica chirped, pushing Logan off, "What's up?"

Wallace smiled, "Nothing much, just dropping over today's homework."

"Hi _Wallace_," Logan greeted, "see, I do know your name."

Wallace frowned and glanced at Veronica quizzically until finally registering what Logan meant. "I'm swooning on the inside," he remarked dryly, "but you're still not getting any tardy slips, man."

Logan faked a disappointed groan.

Wallace rolled his eyes and handed Veronica a stack of papers. She glanced at them, "Whose handwriting is this?" she pointed at her history homework, "and this? And this?" she continued as she looked through the rest.

"Oh man, don't ask," Wallace answered, "people have been coming up to me with these all week. Apparently, everyone always knew you were right and everyone is really good friends with you."

"It's true," Logan confirmed, "everyone's 'really, really worried' about you. Even Dick is all 'dude, how's Veronica doing?'"

Veronica laughed.

"Seriously!" Logan insisted, "He asks me that every time I see him."

"Hmm, I would have thought they'd take Aaron's side," Veronica admitted.

Logan puffed, as he always did whenever _He Who Shall Not Be Named In Logan's Presence_ was mentioned, "No. They took the side _I _took, and that's yours."

He kissed her forehead. Wallace groaned and told them to stop doing the 'Smallville' thing already. Logan asked what the hell was the "Smallville" thing. Wallace pointed at their entwined hands and said it meant doing _that_. Logan told him to shut up.

Listening to them bicker, Veronica thought she was way happier than she deserved to be. Sorry, was that mushy? Well, you know what they say, Veronica Mars – almost got fried like a little marshmallow.

---------------------------

"Aw, aren't they cute? I'm _soooo_ happy for them. Everything's working out for the best! Things are just super-great! Seriously, how awesome is it that everyone just forgot about me?

"Yes, this is Lilly. You know, Lilly? As in the-best-person-ever? As in without-her-none-of-this-would-even-be-happening? As in should-have-her-own-show? Not that I'm bitter or anything, but hello! Lilly Kane here! How can you be feeling sorry that the stage hasn't been given to Logan again? What's so freaking great about him anyway? He's like The. Clingiest. Person. Ever. A week with him and you'll be jumping off bridges and screwing with his dad, too. Trust me.

"And Weevil? And Keith? How did _they_ get to talk here before me? What's your damage, people?

"Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you something about **_REVIEWING_** something. I assume it's this fanfic but I'm not sure, I wasn't really listening to Lily's instructions. I was too busy thinking that Lilly with two L's is waaaay cooler. But I actually like this story, at least I get some attention in it, unlike some show I won't mention by name. Though, honestly, I like those one-shots that are totally devoted to me. When you're done **_REVIEWING_** or whatever, you should read some of those!

"Well, I'm getting bored already… why the hell would I want to be sitting here when I have full access to _Heaven?_

_Lily:_ "_Well, that's probably why I didn't let you write the **REVIEW** plea before, Hyper-Lilly,_ _just find a cool way to end this and meet me in the third door on the left of the basement's hall. You know, the one that says 'torture'."_

"That might have been scarier if I wasn't you know, _dead_ and stuff. You know what? Why don't you take this stupid story and shove it where the sun don't shine, bitch?"

_Lily: "Oh, shut up!" (pause) "hey, don't you dare put on those wings, you hear me? Get back down here!) (another pause) "hum, well folks, that'll be all. Don't forget to **REVIEW!**_ _I think I'll go write a flashback that makes Lilly look really bad. evil laugh she doesn't know who she's messing with…_"

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**moirariordan** I'm glad you're alright, darling. And yes, it's totally okay that you're liking Lianne! That's what I was trying to accomplish, after all. I wanted to write her from a different angle.

You're right, Wallace deserves a lot more love than he's getting. Especially from the show itself. I can't wait to see Veronica go on her knees and beg for forgivness in the name of the show when he comes back already…

And, of course, I'm totally happy that you liked the reunion, I was so nervous about it!

**fyreangel5** Eeee! Longer reviews! Yay! I liked that line too, and it seemed like such a Logan-thing to say. He doesn't seem like a person who'd be all "GET OUT!"… I hope this chapter is amusing enough for you… I miss Wallace too! Come back! I plan on giving him as much attention as I can, but I'm not sure how to write Meg in. Though that's hardly an excuse for the show! What are you doing with her anyway? Wake up Meg!

**Woody-Bennet:** don't worry, you can review again and again, it's not like I don't beg for it in embarrassing ways anyway… and don't worry, I don't really do huge declarations of love well. Some people can, but I can't, so I don't really try. I just settle for good old teasing.

By the way, I had a pretty outdoor wedding at Dog Beach, and then I took Logan to Bordering-on-Schizophrenic island in Hawaii. It was awesome. But then my parents woke me up and I had to get ready for school.

**Arianda:** Actually, by making Lianne like Logan I was trying to make_ her_ more likable, so it's supposed to say something good about Lianne, even though I kinda hate her too. At least here she never stole Veronica's money, though… sorry if that wasn't clear and if it made doubt Logan even for a minute…

**Harri B**Yeah, tension could have been nice. But I wanted to exterminate any chance of them getting back together. I'm overcompensating, you know…

**Sailor Grape:** Yes! Our little girl is on love! Isn't that sweet? Also, it's nice that I manage to make other people giggle too… I thought I only amused myself…

**xXxLOLAxXx:** I'm happy you like this story but Weevil did talk! Really! He got chapter 13! Also, I'm trying to make it as comfortable as possible for him down here wicked smirk.


	16. Chapter 16

Oh Lord, I'm so sorry for the delay, it's been too long… I've missed you guys!

Have I mentioned that I'm sorry? This was a hard chapter to write. I'm not sure why, but it was. Took me whole days to write and then days to decide weather to smut this story up or leave it as a nice little innocent story (I decided on the latter eventually, _sincere_ apologies). Also, my sweet beta-reader **wildhorses** is the busiest little bee in _all_ the verses out there (that a Firefly reference, pretty please go watch that show and that movie. There's always hope!).

Now that we're done with my kneeling and begging for forgiveness, on to the… kneeling and giving out mountains of gratitude? I mean, of course, all the wonderful reviews I got from you guys. I tried to replay most of them, but at some point I forgot to whom I've replied already – yes, I am an idiot, why do you ask? I just got too excited by this whole replying thing, so cool. Hope no one's feeling were hurt… hum, I love you forever?

Anyway, I do hope you enjoy this longer-than-usual chapter. They're just getting longer and longer, huh? I'm guessing it has something to do with the total lack of LoVe on the show (it's like _science_!) or the total lack of _show_, for that matter. By the way, three bags of gold for anyone who finds the _Simpsons_ reference in the chapter!

Yeah, okay, I'm done now. Sorry…

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"So anyway, coach said that if I practice hard enough, I might get to the state's championship," Luke finished his story, his arms spread and his chest puffed out in pride. "Who'd a thunk it, huh?"

Logan smirked knowingly. "And how many steroids did it take to make _that_ happen?" he asked, quite pretentiously.

Luke's face turned bright red, "Shut up, asshole!" he hissed, "I've been clean for months, you know that!"

"Oh, so you finally _just said no_?" Logan mocked viciously.

Before Luke had time to retaliate, or at least pout and storm off, Dick plopped on the bench next to him, passed a hand through his Malibu surfer hair and groaned, "Oh man, Worst. Day. Ever."

"What's up?" Logan asked, "cleaning lady giving you dirty looks again?"

Dick ignored him completely, which was what one needed to do with Logan sometimes (or, you know, lots of times), "I just lost 700,000 bucks in FBLA."

Beaver sniggered like an eight-year old while the rest of the group wondered why Dick cared about something school-related when he didn't even care enough to turn off the gas.

Logan shrugged, "Dude, the problem is you live in the past. Who puts money on dog races these days? Hamsters, man. Hamsters mean money."

Beaver patted Logan's shoulder and chuckled. It was his way of saying 'sorry I sold you out to your girlfriend and betrayed your trust. Bygones?' and he had been doing it every few minutes or so for the past week.

"Seriously," Logan continued, patting Beaver back and using a bit too much force, "they're fluffy and well-trained. Just like dogs, only smaller."

"Very funny, Mr. Mary-Kate and Ashley Beauty Products," Dick marked, mussing his hair and batting his eyelashes adorably (what? He _is_ adorable!)

Luke sputtered his coke and doubled over with laughter, "Please say you didn't!".

Logan shrugged, unmoved, "Worked, didn't it? I've doubled my values. I am currently rich enough to buy a date with both."

"Yeah, well, you've got the cash and I've got the looks. Can't have everything."

Logan flashed him the cockiest smirk the world has ever seen. "Mm-hmm," he murmured, very much aware that he, in fact, had both the money _and _the looks, along with a few other splendid things.

Wasn't life grand?

"Hey guys, we're going to buy a new surfboard tomorrow for Dick," Beaver said, looking directly at Logan, "wanna come with?"

Logan ignored him, deciding he deserved to squirm a little, and turned to Dick instead, "Aww, a new baby for the Casablancas family?"

"Even better than the first one!" Dick exclaimed joyfully.

"Only if you're planning on adoption," Luke said under his breath.

"Yeah, let's see how funny you are when you're begging me for a ride, jackass," Dick snapped.

Logan frowned in mock-concentration, "Hmm, it's seems like such a small sacrifice to make… I think I'll just keep badmouthing it, if you don't mind."

"You might wanna be nicer too if you ever plan on crashing at my house ever again."

Logan chose not to mention that Beaver would probably offer him his own bed if it meant forgiveness and raised his hands in faux-surrender instead, "Ooh, he's serious. Sorry, man."

"Yeah, sorry," Luke added.

A downloaded ring tone exploded from Logan's bag. He checked the caller-ID and smiled to himself. The guys started their own soulful rendition of the _Bamp Chica Pow-Pow_ ballade.

Logan waved his hand to shut them up and pressed the _send_ button, "Hello?" he greeted with his most cheerful voice.

"Is this Logan Echolls I'm talking to?" he heard his most favorite voice in the whole wide world respond.

He walked away from his friends to a more deserted corner and hoped it was far enough away to drown out their annoying singing. "No, sorry ma'am, I think you have the wrong number."

"Meh, whatever," she said indifferently, "you sound pretty cute too, do you have any wheels?"

"I do. I also have a motor and air conditioning," he cooed.

"Ooh, there's the way to a girl's heart. Do you have a convertible?"

"Nope, sorry."

She sighed with fake disappointment, "Oh well, you'll just have to do."

"For what, Miss Unknown?"

There was a slight pause, "Picking me up from the hospital and taking me home?"

_WooHOO!_

Logan's mind almost exploded with joy but he didn't dare break her game with any irksome ecstasy. "Hum, I don't really dig hospitalized chicks. I mean, if I wanted _that_, I could just go and visit my _own_ girlfriend, you know?"

Someday, they will write books about the self-control he was showing at the moment. Also, when was the parking lot moved to southern Australia?

She laughed, "I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where you had a choice. Now come pick me up already!" some was starting to sound as anxious as he felt.

"I'm getting there, Sugar puss," he soothed.

"I bet you call all your girls that," she said, and he could almost _see_ her cute little lip pouting.

"Sadly, I do."

"And I bet I can guess what you're wearing," she added mischievously.

"Give it your best shot."

She hemmed and hawed a little before saying confidently: "Sort of navy blue jeans, white t-shirt and a dark green shirt over it with folded sleeves… am I close?"

He looked down on himself and frowned, "Okay, either I'm very predictable, or I'm being duped."

"Which seems more likely?" she whispered.

The sight of his X-Terra in the horizon has never made him happier, except for maybe the first time he saw it in the car company and knew it would be the one that would stay. He cursed and congratulated himself at the same time for having tainted windows, knowing that although they were extremely annoying right now, they were going to come in very handy in a minute or so.

He slammed the _end _button and almost ripped apart the car door, only to discover that the car was completely empty. _Well, of course_. He looked around, trying to spot her somewhere in the mass of cars and people to no avail. _Well, of course._

His stupid cellphone rang again.

"Oh Logan, don't you know that when you _assume_ you make an _ass_ out of _you and me_?" Veronica cooed.

No one had ever managed to keep him guessing all the time. No had ever made him feel like he was worth the time it took to think about these little irritating games she always played with him. "Ha _ha_," he said bitterly, "very funny, Veronica, now will you kindly expose yourself already?"

"Why? It's so much more fun this way…"

He rolled his eyes and sat heavily on the backseat, "Veronica, this is bordering on abusive."

There was no answer for a while, so Logan lay back to wait. She had to show up eventually. _Ever the tease._

"Hey kid, why so blu…" she didn't even get the chance to finish the sentence before he grabbed her hand and flattened her on top of him. Veronica allowed herself to spare a moment to stroke his hair before leaning over and attacking his mouth.

"Surprise," she murmured, panting.

"I love surprises," Logan said, licking his lips and pulling her down again.

"Do you… do you have any important classes today?"

He tried to concentrate on the question but every time Veronica so much as breathed, her body moved slightly against his in a _very_ distracting way. "I don't know," he blurted out, "what day is today?"

She laughed, "Um, I'm pretty sure it's some day between Sunday and… that other day that comes before Sunday."

Logan also laughed, but it might have been because Veronica was planting ticklish kisses all over his neck.

After a few minutes, and a couple of sordid stares from some Juniors, she pulled back. "Right, that was fun."

"_Was?_ As in past tense? Why?"

"Because you need to be in a condition to drive," she said, chuckling, "I'm not driving the Yellow King Kong, thank you. And it'd be nice _not_ to be involved in another car accident this month."

Logan sighed deeply and straightened up. He tried to look at the big picture: House equals Bed equals Comfortable equals _Drive Already, JACKASS!_

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"_**This is kind of a big deal for me," she said shyly, lowering her eyes.**_

"_**For me too… Look at you, you're actually blushing," he whispered adorably.**_

_**She laughed and it only deepened her blush, which seemed to spread across her entire body. "Aren't you supposed to be supportive or something? I don't know, a 'don't worry, I'll be gentle' would be nice."**_

_**Logan smiled wickedly, he slipped her jacket off and brought his lips to her ear. "Veronica," he whispered, "I'm not going to be gentle."**_

----------------------

Veronica opened her eyes slowly. The room was dim, she could smell something chocolaty and Logan was caressing her back. Sure, it _sounded_ perfect, but honestly, it was just really, really, _perfectly _perfect.

"I was starting to think you were gonna sleep 'till morning," he said softly, putting away the ice cream he was endearingly munching on. Veronica was pretty sure she could never be quite as upset about _anything_ as she used to be – not after witnessing _that_, that's for sure.

"Hmm, I guess my internal clock is set to my curfew," she checked her watch, "hey, what d'you know, I have just enough time to take a quick shower."

He winked, "Not if I can help it."

Their lips somehow found the way to each other again. This was obviously becoming a pattern. The difference this time was that they were taking their time, softly, slowly. Before, everything had been a rush, a hot and passionate rush. But this time, it was nothing like that. And at this rate, there was really no way Veronica would have time to take that shower.

"Mmm, I guess I can be a little late," Veronica murmured serenely.

Logan smiled, "That's my girl. Always willing to ignore the rules completely."

She raised her eyebrows suggestively, "Well, we could probably save some time if we took a shower together."

"That's multitasking!" Logan declared.

Veronica laughed and heavily got up, blanket wrapped firmly around herself.

His gaze followed her as she gathered her clothes and made her way to the bathroom. He didn't mean to feel this needy, but it seemed to come naturally to him. He didn't mean to feel so blissful either, but that seemed to come naturally to him, too.

Logan's chain of disturbing thoughts were broken again when Veronica stepped out of the bathroom, showered and dressed. She was so beautiful it almost made him ache. "You're not gonna start avoiding me now, right?"

She frowned, "Huh? Where did _that_ come from?"

He could hear traces of fear and uncertainty in her voice; it reminded him that this was her first time after all and that maybe he should find something reassuring to say. _Yeah, like what? "Don't worry, you were really good"? Riiight._

"Well," he said instead, "where to begin… there's past history, _with you_, some baggage, and… just a general insecurity, I guess."

Veronica smiled tenderly, "Sounds like the must-haves for any healthy relationship."

He narrowed his eyes, "You're not saying no."

She took a seat next to him and pressed her lips to his roughly.

"Still waiting for that _no,_" he said pointedly when they broke apart for air.

She laughed and cupped his face, "Fine. No. No, no, _no_. I'm not gonna start avoiding you now."

He fought the urge to go all 'me thinks the lady doth protest too much!' but decided against it. Instead, he took the opportunity to steal a few more making-out seconds before he had to drive her back home. It was not in his best interest to make Keith angrier than he already was. After all, they had promised to take things slow.

_Oh well, promises. Like we ever keep them anyway._

---------------------------

"So… is this thing on? tap, tap nah, I'm just kidding with you."

"… So anyway, I don't really have a whole lot to say, Lily just told me some chick called **_moirariordan_** said I was pretty and asked for me to do this. She also said I should promote this crapfest or something. Well, forget the story! **_moirariordan_**, if you're between the ages of 16-29 and you look at all like Madison or my step mom, gimmie a call!"

"Hey, did y'all notice I was added to the credits? Seriously, how _hot_ do I look when I'm shooting that gun? If I was a chick I'd be all over me right now."

_Lily: "Dick, do shut up and get on with the promoting part?"_

"Oh, right, whatever. This chick could be a real nag sometimes, y'know? Anyway, **_REVIEW_** this story already, so we can go on with the fun."

"Let's see, what else can we talk about? Oh, yeah, I know even the _Mexican_ said this, but why aren't there any Dick stories out there? Am I too _complex_ to write or somethin'? What's the problem? Just stick me in a beach somewhere with a few girls in bikinis and we'll call it a _smut_! Easy as hitting the Meyor's daughter!"

"Anyway, I'm getting kinda bored, and Madison's flashing her boobs at me. Guess she found out I got my eye on someone else… hmm, I should probably try and make the best of this. Hey, maybe if I make Gia jealous too I can have them both? Definitely worth a shot, am I a genius or what? Oh, right, before you go off to imagine _that_ little scenario, don't forget to **_REVIEW_**! Adios!"


	17. Chapter 17

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_****_CORRECTED (JUST THE A.N) ---------------------------------------_**

Hey, everyone! Lovely time, isn't it? Oh, right, the stupid hiatus is still going on. Scratch that _lovely_ thing then, damnit. Still, though, I hope you all had a fantastic time on Christmas or Hanukkah or all those other holidays that guy who came up with Live 8 mentioned in his e-mail (sorry for forgetting your name!)

Thank you, as usual, darlings, for your sweet, wonderful reviews! They truly light up my life, I love you guys! I'm so glad you liked this story. I really thought it would go on for _maybe_ three chapters and look now! Chapter 17! Isn't that whacked? And all thanks to you. Not to mention, I've been re-reading and printing this story for my dad (did you see the re-vamped chapter 1? I still can't believe how _bad_ it was before. Blech) and I noticed suddenly that Veronica's has been asleep for, like, six chapters – how did you put up with that? That's totally not cool of me.

Right, moving on from all the gushing and loving and gratitude and stuff, I just wanted to say that I hope you enjoy this chapter and that I kinda think it's the last. Well, not last last, I'll make an epilogue or something, but still.I promise not to make any "five years later, Veronica stood in front of the old, gruffy preacher and said her vows..." because I dislike those.

Oh, and final thanks to my great beta-reader **wildhorses** for being just awesome!

(sniff sniff) Enjoy!

--------------------------

The next morning, when Logan woke up, his gut was still twisting with unease, courtesy of a dream he just had. He didn't remember the details, only the sick feeling that it gave him.

Things were gonna get bad again. He just _knew_.

He was never wrong before. Whenever his stomach started sending him warning signals, something bad always happened. Granted something bad always happened _anyway_, but on those times when he was able to predict it, he could at least tell himself afterwards, half a bottle of something later, that he saw it coming and how _smart_ was he!

Logan imagined this crisis was probably going to be about Veronica. Nothing gave him so much pain, and joy at the same time like she did, so obviously whatever bad thing happened, it was going to either be to her or because of her.

How screwed up was his life, by the way, that he was praying for his dad to die in prison or that the house be set on fire instead?

**_She smiled and moaned his name. Her eyes were half closed and she was clawing her nails down his back. For a moment he felt sorry about _not_ having a few sex-cameras installed around the room, if only to capture that moment and rewind-play it for all eternity._**

He wondered if she was going to break up with him. _Again_. If so, it would be their third time. Three more and they would break the record he and Lily had set (5 breakups in two years). He wondered if maybe the problem was with him, because Veronica and Duncan had dated for about a year and a half and had maybe _one _"major" fight during that entire time. It was something about how Duncan forgot to call her once even though he promised he would.

She never accused _Duncan_ of rape or murder. Well, murder yes, but not rape!

He wondered if he should feel sad that apparently everyone he had ever cared about tired of him eventually, or happy that they always came back to him despite everything – at least until they _died._

_Stop it, dude, you're driving yourself crazy. Over a GIRL, for God's sake. Grow up!_

Still, he just couldn't stop obsessing about it. Maybe that was what Lilly had meant when she told him he was way too clingy for her taste (or was it _intense_? Intense certainly sounded better than clingy, but not much) (or was it _scary_? Scary sounded worst that clingy _and _intense combined).

Last night had happened too quickly, that must have been the problem. He pushed her into having sex too soon, and he didn't even mean too. He was just so happy to see her, he couldn't control himself, and it's not like Veronica was strengthening her chastity belt at that moment, either.

Still, he should have been the responsible one.

Girls made such a big deal out of sex. He didn't, of _course_. It's not like it was his first time or anything, it's not like it was _perfect_ or _magical_ or any other cheesy words one could use to describe something other-worldly.

_Stop it, dude. You're not fooling anyone. I'm you, remember? I can actually tell when you're lying, you know? Grow up, seriously._

**_He felt like he would never be able to move again. Like he didn't even _want_ to. Why would he ever want to?_**

He reached for the phone but stopped mid-way. If she hung up or made up some lame excuse to hang up, he'd… well, without his morning coffee, who knows what he might do?

_Break to pieces. Beg. Grovel. Apologize. Jump off a bridge._

No, best pretend that he still had a shred of _bad-boy_ in him. Best go to school and wait for _her_ to come to him. Or at least wait for her to smile at him or something equally reassuring. Yeah. That was a good plan.

**_She fell asleep almost immediately, still shining with sweat and with her hair still ruffled. He smiled to himself because he still had _it_ and smiled at her sleeping form because he was more than willing to give _it_ to her along with the earth, the moon and everything she'd ever ask for._**

-------------------------

Veronica didn't have to do the whole opening-closing-opening-eyes ritual when she got out of bed the next morning. She simply didn't sleep at all. Apparently, that IV bag she had attached to her arm all those days in the hospital wasn't just some kind of new hippy bracelet. Turns out it was filled with drugs. Much needed drugs.

Without them, whenever she so much as closed her eyes, she would immediately see Aaron's face. He always said the same – _Veronica…_ - and always in the same terrorizing, malevolent whisper that would make her clutch the blanket tighter over her body and look around the room. And then, after he'd whisper to her (even when she imagined him with Lilly, he would always say _her_ name), she could always suddenly smell the retched odor of gasoline, all around her.

_Lungs cracking. So much smoke. What a horrible way to die._

She wanted to call Logan. It seemed she could only find sleep when she was in his arms, possibly after he had spent a good amount of time and effort in exhausting her. But it had been so long since she had dialed a boyfriend's number and curled the phone's wire between her firngers while waiting for him to answer. All of the phones had turned cordless on her.

Strangely, more than she was afraid of movie stars trying to kill her, Veronica was afraid of Lilly's shadow. How could she ever be as good as her? And what was she thinking, getting involved with her mythological ex?

_You chose the worst time to leave me all alone, Lilly. I could really use your help right now._

**_He looked like he loved her, and maybe he said so, but she couldn't remember, and it didn't really matter._**

Someone honked outside her apartment, causing to her jerk away from her delusions.

Veronica let out an agonized sigh. Wallace, Wallace, Wallace. Why are thou so compliant? She was so willing to skip today and try to get some sleep (not to mention the advantages of avoiding a certain b-o-y friend. _Promises be damned_). But noooo, he had to come pick her up, that… that… disappointing best friend.

-------------------------------

Still, somehow, as they walked down the halls of nice familiar Neptune High, Veronica couldn't help feeling a little safer. True, being happy about going back to school was a very sad concept, but there was something about the anguish in that place that made her feel right at home. Also, no Logan in sight – yay! Maybe he called in sick – double yay!

They took a place in their old, reliable, possibly made of oak table and Veronica felt like spreading her arms around it and filling it with kisses. It wasn't even lunch break, just the half hour break they had between second and third period, but, given the fact there weren't any movie theaters on school ground, most kids chose to go sit at the lunch area anyway.

"So Wallace," she asked, "what'cha gonna do this summer?"

Wallace shrugged good naturedly, "I think I'm gonna go to basketball camp with the team, actually. Could be fun…"

She pouted, "Aw, you're gonna go away for the entire summer and leave me all alone with _these_ freaks?" she asked, pointing at Neptune High's suddenly creepily friendly students.

"It's only for a month," he reassured her, putting on his best growing-up-in-the-Hoods accent, "when I get back, we gonna party, girl! You feelin' me?"

"I'm feelin' you, my bru_tha_," she answered, her voice sounding even faker than his.

Wallace let out an exaggerated relieved sigh, "Good, cause I was afraid that with all this fortune you have lying around now, you might forget your roots, you know?"

_Ah, yes, sweet, sweet fortune, where have you been all my life?_

"Don't worry," she said nevertheless, "I'll always have time for the little people."

He laughed sweetly and started munching on a donut (and, again I remind you, it wasn't even _lunch!_). "You ready for the history final?" he asked between hefty bites.

She shrugged, "Sure, I've had plenty of time to study… then again, I_ was_ drugged most of the times, so who knows _what _I've been studying…" she frowned helplessly, "Collin Ferrell was that nice man who conquered half of the known world, right?"

Wallace snapped his fingers with disappointment, "Man, I was gonna ask you to text-message me the answers but you're even dumber than I am right now."

"Ouch, Wallace, that stung," she said, holding a hand to her heart, "seriously now, I think I owe you one or two favors, I could help you with the test."

"What? After all those times I risked my life for you, I think you owe more than _two_ favors!"

Veronica gasped, "Hey! That was always for the greater good!"

"_Fake IDs!_" he fake-coughed.

"Excuse me, didn't I save your basketball career once? Or, say, cut you off the flagpole and worked things out with Weevil?" she asked pointedly, "And how about that damsel in distress I helped you save?"

He raised his arms, "Fine, I surrender. You're my _he-ro_, Veronica Mars. So would you please help me with the test?" he asked, giving her his best suck-up grin.

Veronica smiled back, "Sure."

Wallace made an over-the-top gesture of thanking God before noticing a girl sitting on a near table, "Hey, look! There's Cora! Remember I told you about her?"

Cora being the latest girl Wallace had a crush on. There were days in the hospital when he couldn't stop talking about her – "_She's really cute, I met her on a pep rally… no, she's not a cheerleader, stop giving me that look… but I like her!_" It always amazed Veronica how he was not embarrassed in the least to admit that he liked someone.

_She_, on the other hand,was currently hiding from her _boyfriend._

"Oh, so this is _Cora, the_? Hmm… I thought I heard Disney music coming from somewhere…" she looked around as if trying to find a hidden orchestra. Truth be told, this Cora-person looked like the nicest girl around (well, second nicest, and where _was_ Meg anyway?) and Veronica was really happy for her best friend. Still, she'd probably only let him know that on their second anniversary, if at all.

"Come on!" Wallace protested, "Look at her! She's so _sweet_!"

Veronica chuckled, "I know, that's what I was saying, only I meant sweet in the traditional way, not in the _Dude, Where's My Car?_ way. And I meant it in a good way."

Wallace's face broke into a sunny beam, "So, you like her? You're not gonna pull out those Veronica Mars claws?"

She stretched out her palms innocently, "Claws? _What_ claws? Now go talk to her already, you have, like, ten minutes left to charm her pants off!"

"Alright!" he chirped, "See ya later, Veronica."

"Good luck, Loverboy," she winked.

She observed him for a moment as he sat next to the girl and they started perfectly reenacting the New York Times bestseller _Talking with the Person You Like: A Beginners Guide _complete with perfect nervous glances and awkward smiles.

Okay, where _was_ that boyfriend of hers? Veronica kinda wanted to see him suddenly…

She looked around, trying to spot him, but he wasn't sitting at his usual spot in the 09er table. Duncan was there, though. He waved uncertainly and mouthed: '_So, you heard?'_

Veronica frowned. '_Heard? Heard what?'_ She shook her head back at him. He pursed his lips and grinned weakly: '_Oh, you'll see…_' he said before rolling his eyes and turning back to the conversation. Like, _thanks_, buddy.

With another shrug, Veronica got up and started walking back towards the school. She tried to resist the urge to call her father immediately and ask him what the hell Duncan was talking about, but someone was waiting for her next to her locker and suddenly she couldn't really remember her last name (_some planet maybe?_).

"Hey," Logan almost-whispered shyly.

She gulped and made an attempt at a smile, "Hi."

This was a lot more comfortable when they were _naked_.

Logan kissed her awkwardly and they started walking together towards… well, somewhere. Veronica was doing her best at staring intently ahead while Logan's eyes were fixed firmly on her. He had a pair of unnerving eyes, that one.

Finally, he decided to break the ice somehow, "So, you do anything _interesting_ yesterday?" he asked pointedly.

Veronica blushed to the core of her being but managed to hold her own, "Hmm… define '_interesting_'."

He shrugged and she detected a hint of a smirk, "World turning, mind blowing, worthwhile, you know, something like that?"

It was amazing how much time they could spend talking without saying anything. He wanted desperately to ask her if she was going to break up with him and she wanted desperately to ask if she was a disappointment. And yet.

"What, like Bungee jumping?" she clarified, "No, nothing like that."

He stopped suddenly and wheeled her around so that she was facing him. They both gulped inwardly. "Seriously though," he said faintly, "you're… I mean, you're not… _traumatized_, or anything, right?"

**_She looked like she loved him, and maybe she said so, but he couldn't remember, and it _really**_ **didn't matter.**_

Veronica felt tears forming themselves in the corner of her eyes. She got on her tiptoes and locked her lips with his, not even taking the time for pleasantries before meeting his tongue. This was the best way she could answer questions like this. When they finally parted for air (and discretion, mind you, this was the main hall, after all), she laughed timidly and mimicked the finger gun he made for her once in synchronization with the bell.

Logan just stared at her, stunned. He was probably still trying to figure out what the response to his question actually was and she realized the time when she could just shut his question up with a kiss was coming to an end. One day she'd have to explain to him what it meant to walk around for a year thinking you were raped and find out that you were kinda, but not really and what that does to someone's perception of sex.

Also, she'd have to explain to him what it's like to sleep with someone you've heard stories about from your best friend and what that does to someone's perception of themselves.

Yeah, okay, maybe she was really traumatized, and maybe it happened a little too fast. But kissing was just so much easier than breaking into a long tedious monologue, plus, you know, a lot more fun. So there.

With one quick peck on the lips and a half smile, Veronica turned around and walked away unsurely.

"That would be a '_no'_ then?" Logan asked no one in particular and touched his swollen lips.

------------------------

_(Sounds of champagne bottles popping and music)_

Logan: "Dudes! This story's over! Finished! Whoohoo! We're finally leaving the basement! And I can get an annulment for my stupid marriage with Lily! Oh, wait, she's crying now. muttering _Jeez, I hate that bitch_. I'm sorry, Lily, your story was really nice. Yeah, I know I called it a piece of… but, you know, it was only because there wasn't any sex. Now there was. Oh, stop crying, you annoying, little…"

Veronica: "_Right_! I think what Logan's trying to say is that we're just happy to leave and go back to Neptune. Yeah, I know you guys can't believe I just said that, but you have to understand, this basement sucks! And I really want to see what happens on the show. I can't handle the suspense – will Duncan and I finally break up?"

Duncan: "_Hey! _Thanks, Veronica. I love you, too."

Veronica: "Oh, go impregnate someone."

Duncan: "Yeah, real mature, _Sweetie_."

_(Lily: "Guys! Remember? The **REVIEW** thing? Please?")_

Dick: "Yeah! **_REVIEWS_**! With phone numbers for me! Get on it, ladies! I ain't gonna wait for you forever! Also, dudes, my brother's getting some and I'm not? Come on, fanfic people, why do you hate me?"

Wallace: "Yeah, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I agree with Blondie here. I've been here waaay before Cassidy or Beaver or whatever, and there used to be a time when you paired Mac with me! What happened? And Lily, you finally throw me a bone, and now you're ending the story? That's just mean, girl. Really mean. Could someone please **_REVIEW_** in my honor or somethin'?"

Cliff: "Can we wrap this story in which I have no part whatsoever already? There are some strippers who need me to handle a _case_ for them and I'd really like to get on with _that_."

Logan: "Yes, let's please. Me and Veronica are scheduled for some yachting, if you don't mind. Though this time I'm totally coming to pick her up."

Weevil: "And I'm gonna do some real damage if I hear something _LoVe_ related ever again. If there aren't any Weevil stories soon… well, let's just say _certain_ writers are going to find themselves taped to _certain_ poles, got it?"

_(Lily: "Fine, annoying nags. All day long it's just 'I want this' and 'why not that'. Weevil wants a paint job, Mac wants her gadgets, it's really exhausting. So let's just raise our glasses and **REVIEW?**_ _Pretty please? Cheers?")_

**_CORRECTION:_**

All: "Wait, so there's still one more chapter? Oh, man! Why?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Oh, Rob, I know there are some arguments, but I personally loved your last episode, but will it kill you to add _some_ interaction between Logan and Veronica that couldn't turn water into ice? Come on, dude! I know you think of Duncan and Veronica as Romeo and Juliet (which, hum, huh?) but even I think _Buffy_ proved us that Star-Cross Lovers aren't, like, forever _confined _to each other. Oh, and also? They're not mine, obviously.

Okay, I promised and I kept my promise. Here's a kinda-epilogue that is a bunch of scenes meant to portray the situation and wrap things up. I hope you won't be disappointed or think it's _still_ too abrupt. Even if you do, I'd still like to know **_WHAT YOU THINK_**.

Also, last thanks to **wildhorses** for betaing over my silly little mistakes and for everyone who took the time to review this story. I love hearing what you guys, not just about the story, just in general.

Enjoy!

Lily,

-----------------------------

_Life is so strange._

Yeah, it's not very deep or insightful, but you try thinking up interesting anecdotes about life when Jake Kane is sobbing all over you and there are approximately fifty thousand camera flashes exploding in your face. Be assured though, the only thoughts that travel to one's head at times like these are: _'Hmm, I hope I left Backup enough food, this dude could cry for hours,' _or _'one sheep jumps over the fence, two sheep jump over the fence, three sheep…' _(Yeah, you get it, don't you?)

Celeste eyed her with a steely glance. She walked over to Jake and tried to yank him from her without looking too blunt. Luckily, Jake was very compliant to anything at the moment, so he simply let go of Veronica (oh, thank _God)_ and crashed onto his wife's shoulders with fresh sobs wracking his body.

Veronica felt relieved for a moment, but she soon realized that having no whining Jake as a shield left her completely bare to the press. They seemed to notice that too and immediately started bombarding her with questions. Idiotic Vultures.

"… Veronica, did you ever suspect anything?"

_Well, no, I was sure Lilly tripped on her overalls and died in a horrible accident. But now that you mention it, do you think she might have been killed intentionally or something?_

"… Are you comfortable with being a role model for young girls?"

_Sure, it's grea… what? Me? Why the hell would they look up to _me_? What is _wrong_ with the world?_

"… Were you scared when Aaron Echolls tried to light you up?"

_Oh, no! I was perfectly content! It was the best day ever! I especially liked the COMA that followed, but the fire part was nice too, sure._

Her father sent her a wary smile. He was also attacked with questions of this sort ("… Mr. Mars, did it bother you to be alienated from your community?"). The only different was that he had _warned_ her this was a bad idea before they left for the press conference, so technically he had a right to be annoyed.

"… Veronica, weren't you afraid to start a relationship with the son of the man who tried to kill you?"

_Hmm… Logan. Me likes Logan. I'm sorry, what was the question?_

She turned around, completely ignoring Celeste's disapproving glare, and instantly broke into a smile. He was there, thank _God_ again, and seemed very engaged in a conversation with Cliff (who, by the way, had orchestrated this whole thing. Oh, she'd have to _thank _him for that later). However, as soon as he noticed her looking at him, he grinned sheepishly and winked.

Clearly, he wasn't listening to most of the questions that were being thrown at her from every direction, because, damn, some of those journalists were just plain _crude_.

---------------------------

"We're definitely not cut out to be in show-biz," Keith said with a sigh when they were finally allowed behind the curtains or veils or whatever thin fabric separated them from the alligators out there.

Veronica kissed her father on the cheek and smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Dad."

Keith shrugged, "Don't worry about it, kiddo. We got paid, didn't we?"

"That you did," Cliff said sounding pleased as he joined them with Logan, "not to mention, you've helped the defense case plenty. I'm sure after the press heard your… _silence_, they'll be much less supportive of Aaron Echolls."

"Oh, shut up, Cliff," Logan mouthed Veronica's thoughts and took her hand, being careful to keep a safe distance from her in an uncharacteristic consideration of Keith's nerves.

"Strapping young man, ain't he?" Keith said, sporting an incredibly fake grin. Logan smiled back obnoxiously, which prompted Keith into putting as much force as he had available on a _friendly _back slap to his (God-he-hoped-_not_) future son-in-law.

"Very," Cliff agreed with a sigh. He and Keith shook their heads gravely before starting to walk together in the direction of the car. Even as they grew more and more distant, Veronica could still hear Cliff murmuring "I'm just hoping he'll _strap _himself to the outside of a plane". Keith nodded enthusiastically.

"Should I be offended or something?" Logan asked, wrapping the appropriate arm around his _girlfriend_ and trying to kiss her as chastely as possible. Public place, after all, and Keith wasn't that far away (which, honestly, was how Logan liked him best).

"Nah, they're just protective. I hope." She frowned suddenly, "You do lock your doors at night, though, right? I have no use for you dead."

He chuckled, "That's possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

That was incorrect, actually. Lilly once told him that she would still love him, even if he, for some reason, became a little dog. Maybe even more so, as she missed Molly as well and wouldn't have minded getting a new dog. Sweet girl she was – everyday he found it harder and harder to _miss _her.

"I'm all about the romance," she said casually.

He answered with something like '_Yeah, you are'_ but she couldn't make out the words exactly because he whispered them in her ear and she could never bring herself to concentrate enough whenever he did that. She did hear his next question: "So, what are you gonna do with all this money you suddenly have lying around?"

Veronica chuckled as they _slowly _started walking towards the car where Keith and Cliff were waiting for her, "I'm thinking of buying something really expensive. Maybe an antelope."

"Seriously!" he exclaimed, slowing their pace considerably, "a hundred grand. You know how many invisible-ink pens you can buy with that much money?"

_A hundred grand, for finding Lilly's killer,_ but no one was willing to say that out loud. Lilly's name had become sort of a taboo. Whenever she accidentally said something about Lilly, Logan grimaced, Keith shook his head sadly and Duncan looked away. Sometimes Veronica thought she was the only person who still loved Lilly unconditionally.

"I'm afraid it's going to my college fund," she said, "no freaky euro-trips for me."

Logan's smile turned somewhat coy as he started to say, "Well, actually…"

"Veronica!" they heard Keith impatient call, "I think earth has spun around _twice_ already, are you _coming_?"

She rolled her eyes but kissed Logan goodbye nevertheless. "I better go," she said regretfully, "if earth spins one more time, I'm up for grounding."

He nodded and watched her make her way to the car. They were going to meet later that evening to celebrate anyway, it's not like he was pushy or something. Nope, he was all about the _cool_. He knew that sometimes being Veronica's boyfriend was like facing a vicious tiger. Only in reverse. With a tiger, if you showed any sign of weakness, it jumps all over you, but with Veronica? One sign of commitment and far _away_ she went.

If you ever told him he'd have to sometimes _hide _the fact that he wanted to be serious with a girl he loved, he'd tell you '_Well, yeah, I'm going out with Lilly, haven't you noticed?'_

Still, it wasn't the same. Lilly didn't care, Veronica was just afraid. He hoped, anyway, because he was starting to resemble a male Hilary Duff. Seriously, every day he was closer and closer to putting some witty quote of hers about how _luv is so kewl_ as his inspirational note.

--------------------------

"You mom isn't joining us for dinner, is she?" Wallace asked later the night as helped Veronica make the salad.

The parents insisted on a celebratory dinner, but it felt more like those dinners divorced people who are dating throw in order for their families to get to know each other, which was a stupid thing, because Veronica and Wallace knew each other way before their parents did. In fact, they kind of introduced them. But whatever, sometimes one had to just indulge.

"Sure she is," Veronica answered with a sunny smile, "she's in the bedroom, getting dressed."

"What!" Wallace asked incredulously, earning a concerned glance from his mother.

Veronica chuckled and bumped him playfully. "You're such an easy mark," she teased, "she went to meet up with an old friend."

He raised his eyebrows, but not before kicking her under the table, "Yeah?"

"Yeah. She says she's one of the lunch ladies in our school. Mary or something. Anyway, she won't be here all night."

"How are things going with her, anyway?"

"Sort of ok-ish," she said with a shrug, "next week she's gonna start looking for a job. At least that's what she says."

"Don't trust her, huh?"

She shook her head, "Not really." _And no, I don't wanna talk about it, thank you. _The subject had to be changed, pronto. "What about you, why haven't you brought Cora?"

Wallace gave her a funny look, "You're set on making me as uncomfortable as possible, aren't you?"

Veronica laughed, "Not just you! Everyone! Uncomfortable dinners are the best."

"Really? Than why haven't you invited your little _boy_friend? It would have been funny to see your dad shoot him. Like a _Looney Toons_ special."

"Yeah, I thought about it," she admitted, "but, well, like you said, that would be funny, not uncomfortable."

He frowned, "I was kidding, Veronica."

"I wasn't."

"You're truly sick."

-----------------------------

"**In an expected turn of events, Aaron Echolls claims to be innocent in the death of Lilly Kane. Echolls, a once popular actor who starred in many successful films was charged with murder and various other crimes earlier this month. Tomorrow on Entertainment Tonight, find out what really happened the day Lilly Kane was murdered."**

-----------------------------

"_Look at you, Veronica."_

Veronica wheeled around, turning away from the mirror, "Lilly?"

_Lilly smiled happily at her. _Veronica gasped and turned to the mirror again without any real reason. Lilly didn't have a reflection, of course_. "What? I'm not a vampire, Veronica. Come on."_

"I thought you weren't going to come around anymore," Veronica said quietly, even though she should have been covering her ears and shutting her eyes. It was one thing to see Lilly when she was sleeping, but seeing her when she was wide awake? Not the same. She considered slapping herself, but, well, it was always nice to see Lilly.

"_I know," Lilly said, "but I've missed you. And also, I heard the good news."_

"What good news?" Veronica asked, not understanding why she was indulging her own psychosis by _talking _to the freaking ghost (who was more likely a hallucination brought on by some undiagnosed head injury) in the _middle of her bedroom_.

"_The cash you recently came into, silly!" Lilly exclaimed happily, twirling around._

Veronica instantly flinched. "Well, thanks… but… it doesn't feel right… taking money for finding out… I mean, I didn't do it for the money, Lil. You know that, right?"

_Lilly waved a hand dismissively, "Of course I know that! Come on, Veronica! Still, Mom and Dad are so cheap! I would have given you a million bucks if I could. You deserve it."_

"Think I can convince your Dad to give away more money to us on account of his daughter's ghost's request?" Veronica asked jokingly, glad that she had at least _someone_ she could make inappropriate jokes with (dead or alive).

_Lilly laughed, her voice echoing across the room. "You could try," she suggested slyly, "I'll even try and arrange lightning or something, if you need a sign from above."_

Veronica smiled tenderly. She could feel tears welling in the corners of her eyes, which was very, very _bad_. She promised everyone she'd stop obsessing over Lilly.

"_Aw, Veronica, don't cry," Lilly begged, stroking her cheek softly, "you'll smear your make up!" She came closer to examine Veronica's appearance, and Veronica could swear she felt her warm breath on her face. "And why are you wearing this lame eye shadow anyway?" Lilly asked, sighing, "Green is _so_ your color! And that shirt? Far too Sunday school. God, Veronica Mars, have you learned nothing from me?"_

Veronica shook her head in a defeated manner, "What should I wear then?" _oh my God,_ her mind screamed, _did I just go to a _ghost _for fashion advice? What the hell is _wrong_ with me?_

_Lilly seemed to contemplate this a little, "Hmm… Logan likes dark colors."_

"No he doesn't," Veronica said quickly, "he wears light colors all the time."

"_Fine," Lilly said, rolling her eyes, "he likes how _you _look in dark colors, what's the difference? Just change into something dark red already!"_

Veronica, for reasons entirely unknown to her, complied without a word and changed her outfit and her make up completely. Lilly made comments from time to time, telling her to go lighter or darker and turning down countless outfits. Veronica already made a mental note to herself to check the phonebook for a decent looking madhouse and reserve a room for herself first thing in the morning.

"_Perfect!" Lilly shrieked when Veronica was finally ready. "Logan's gonna faint! You totally should use that opportunity dump him in some alley!"_

"Lilly, don't be a bitch," Veronica said, trying to suppress a giggle, "I love him."

"_Sure, you say that now. Just wait a few months, you'll be sorry you didn't slip a little cyanide in his drink," Lilly promised._

Veronica opened her mouth to say something. She wasn't sure what, though. Was she looking to apologize? Ask Lilly to stay? Argue about Logan's qualities as a boyfriend? It didn't matter, anyway, because her father's voice interrupted her. He said she had a gentleman caller, which meant this was over.

"_He's here," Lilly said quietly and, without warning, kissed Veronica on the lips. "You'll be alright, Veronica. And when you won't, I'll be there. And you know why? Because you're hallucinating."_

Veronica's lips burned. She turned around to the mirror again, wishing to God that her lip-gloss would be slightly smeared. It wasn't. And when she turned around, Lilly was gone.

----------------------------

"You know we didn't have to do the dishes, right? We have a couple of teenagers at our disposal for that," Keith told Alicia, even though, in all honesty, he loved spending this time with her.

She grinned sweetly, "I know, but they're both so excited about their dates. Why ruin it?"

Keith sighed exaggeratedly, "You're way too good, woman. I'm all for child slavery."

Alicia laughed heartily, looked around to make sure they were alone and whispered: "you know, we're _finally_ gonna have the house all to ourselves for a few hours."

"Are you forgetting your other son by any chance? You know, the little one?"

"Wallace is taking him to play with Cora's little brother…" she informed him.

Keith let go of the dishes and wrapped an arm around her, "Well, well, well, my mood just jumped up by thirty percent."

"Only thirty?" Alicia asked, mock-disappointed.

"It was a good day today, so it was already high from the beginning."

Alicia laughed again and kissed him lightly.

"Stop! Stop that!" Wallace cried as he came into the kitchen. He covered his eyes with his hand and quickly took something out of the fridge. "All right, I'm done."

Keith sighed. "Why does he always do that?" he asked himself before moving to kiss her again. This time they were interrupted by the doorbell.

"Man…" Keith murmured as he made his way to the door and opened it. His scowl intensified even more when Logan cheered his usual _'Hey, Mr. Mars! Isn't it a wonderful day?'_

"Veronica! You have a gentleman caller!" _and I use the term 'gentleman' very loosely, _he thought to himselfas he called out with irritation, turning away from Logan's insufferable grin.

Veronica came after a few minutes, looking completely different than she did just moments before. Keith frowned, but moved away to allow her access. She looked a little disheveled, but then again, she was teenaged girl. Teenaged girls were always upset about _something_. It just meant she was finally starting to act like a normal girl.

"Hey," she said quietly.

Logan's smile brightened and he kissed her softly on the mouth. Keith sighed, realizing that he wouldn't be able to keep this asshole away like he planned. "You got the emphasis on the _gentleman_ part, right?"

"Yeah," Logan said firmly, nodding his head, "though, one day you'll have to explain to me what that means exactly."

Keith scoffed.

"What?" Logan asked innocently, "I wanna learn!"

Veronica chuckled and led Logan outside, "Let's go. Bye Dad."

"You'll be back by ten, right?"

She frowned, "Dad, it's nine thirty."

"So?"

"We're leaving now," Veronica said, rolling her eyes.

As he closed the door, Keith could still hear Logan asking sheepishly: "What, is he mad or something?" and Veronica laughing.

"God, I hate that kid," he snarled.

"Really?" Alicia asked laughingly, "I hadn't noticed.

----------------------------

"… **I don't understand how people could think I killed someone. My own family?"**

"… **I never followed Lilly Kane back to her home. I was willing to face the consequences of what I did. I knew I would be able to redeem my actions somehow, why would I have killed her?"**

"… **My wife wasn't well. I was lonely."**

"… **Lilly Kane came to me. I never pursued her.**

"… **I know I made a mistake. And I'm sorry. But I'm not a murderer"**

---------------------------

"Hey… Veronica… I wanna ask you something."

Veronica sighed, "You know how you _always_ say just the wrong thing when we're making out? You think you could look into that?"

He chuckled and contemplated just doing as he was told and carrying on. The girl he loved most was sitting on his lap, and he got to kiss her and touch her and _feel _her. The wisest thing would be to _just shut the hell up, dumbass!_

But nooooo. "Come on, I wanna ask you something," he repeated, ignoring the voice in his head (and, you know, in _other places_) that told him he was immensely stupid and needed to be put down.

She sighed dramatically again and pulled back from him, "Fine. You've got my kind of undivided attention. What?"

The loss of contact hit him hard, so he decided to make this quick. "You know how you said there were no euro-trips for you?"

"Vaguely."

He ran a hand up her leg, hoping to make her more compliant, and wondered why he was always the woman in his relationships. "Well, I don't think that's right."

"Meaning?" she asked with a smile, trying to see where he was going with that.

"I want you to fly to Europe with me," he blurted out.

She raised her eyebrows, "_What?_"

He pressed his lips to hers for a moment and repeated: "I want you to fly to Europe with me. For a vacation."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Veronica tried not to smile too broadly, "Where? For how long?"

Logan also tried not to smile too broadly, though she was clearly giving in, "Wherever you want and for as long you like. I can pretty much afford anything. Though we should probably get back here for the trial?"

"Are you _serious_?" she asked again, eyes turning red.

"_Yes,"_ he answered again. He tightened his hold on her and stared determinedly into her eyes, trying to make her see he was serious. "Come on, Veronica. Sandy beaches, Jacuzzis, I really don't see what there is to consider here. I'm pretty sure hundreds of girls would be happy to be in your place."

"Oh, no. I have to go now," Veronica said mock-gravely. Her face softened, though, when she took in his cute boyish scowl. There was a short silence, in which Veronica repeatedly opened and closed her mouth and Logan tried to coax her with his eyes into talking.

"Can we…" she started timidly, "can we go to Ibiza?"

Logan broke into a joyful laugh and pressed his lips to hers fiercely. He lied back on the bed, pushing her down with him and started to slowly slide down her dress's zipper.

"Oh, wait," Veronica suddenly stopped, "you haven't actually said yes. I'm not sleeping with you until you say _yes_."

He chuckled, "Damn, I was hoping to make false promises and then discard you. Now I guess I really do have to take you to damn Europe, huh?"

"Yup."

"Way to get yourself in stupid situations, _Echolls_," he murmured to himself, mock-reproachfully, and watched in delight as she laughed. Not wanting the sound to stop, Logan pulled her back down and trailed kisses all the way down to her collarbone. It made her moan, not laugh, but, well, he liked _that_ too.

-------------------------------

"… **I'm especially sorry for the pain I've cause my son. I hope he's watching this now, seeing things from my perspective. If he were here, I would have told him, 'Logan, _son_, I'm so _sorry_'. He's seventeen, you know? Two weeks ago I threw him a birthday party." **

"…**I don't know how things got so complicated."**

"… **I always liked Veronica Mars, she made my _son_ happy. Right now, though… I mean, when I think about the lies she's feeding him. How she's making _my own son_ hate me… I don't like her much anymore. She's just like Lilly. Spins men about. I'm really worried about my _son_. Women like that destroy men. Look what happened to me."**

"… **I just want everything to go back to the way it was. I miss my wife. I miss my _children_."**

"… **I can't see any jury in their right mind keeping someone away from his family."**

----------------------------

_Oh, God._

_I can't believe they let him go._

_How could they? Did they not see the tapes? Did they not _see_ him?_

_I can't believe he actually managed to fool an entire team of juries with his stupid crocodile tears. Idiots, idiots, idiots!_

_I have to take Veronica away. We can't share a continent with that monster. We have to move. Anywhere that isn't here._

---------------------------

Okay guys, this seriously wraps this up. I'm so sorry if it's still a little blunt, but writing this chapter… well, let's just say I found out I could go on for hours and hours and never end it (so many things can still be resolved… the paternity thing, for once) which would be a little tiring. Also, I dunno, I guess it leaves an opening for a sequel or something. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this story, because I sure as hell enjoyed writing it and reading the wonderful feedback I got for it!

Sorry there isn't a character plea this time, but I let the bastard go the last time. I didn't think there'd be an epilogue. Lucky idiots, they got away just barely. Also, I thought I'd give one last thanks and goodbye to everyone who actually managed to stuck through 18 chapters and wasn't all "oh, screw this story" – you guys are the light of my little universe.

So, I hope I'll see you in my next story, though I have no idea what it will be about. I'm trying to find a moment in season 1 that can be altered into LoVe and hasn't be used yet (which, you know, good luck on _that_, Lily). Any ideas?

Anyway, please, for the last time (for real this time) **_REVIEW_** – just to say _adios._


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